Return of the Reapers
by SayoShihoinXKohAyamerei
Summary: "Shinigami: A feared creature of the Dark Arts. An abomination that takes human form and destroys the souls of the innocent for no reason, not even sustenance. Even more terrible than dementors, we can only pray these creatures are truly extinct." Ichigo, Toshiro and Rukia, three powerful Captains, are going to infiltrate a society that hates them! Yay? 5th year HP Post Winter War
1. Prologue: Hidden From View

**_Me:_**** Hello. I feel bad for not updating ****Shunkō Shinobi**** and ****Shinigami Through Time And Space****, but I had a bad case of the "Selective Plot Bunnies/Writer's Block". Where you can't write what you want to, but you can write anything else. And so this was born.**

**_Sayo:_**** We may be doing other Harry Potter and Bleach crossover, but for now, ****Return of the Soul Reapers**** will have to do. Also, this blatantly ignores the fact that Harry Potter is set before Bleach. We'll just pretend that in the last centaury the human race hasn't progressed much.**

**_Me:_**** Our stories—**

**_Fred:_**** Were inspired—**

**_George:_**** By all of you—**

**_Fred:_**** Loony—**

**_George:_**** Demented—**

**_Me:_**** But ****_wonderful_****—**

**_Fred & George:_**** Readers!**

**_Sayo:_**** *facepalm* Yare yare, get on with it!**

**_Me:_**** I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach, otherwise Fred, Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Hedwig, Dumbledore, Snape, Gin-san, Ulqui-chan, Spoon-kun, Starrk-san and Lilynette-chan would be alive. Grimmkitty-sama wouldn't have been ambushed by Spoon-kun and would've been ranked higher than 6. IchiRuki and YoruHara would be canon and my OCs would be actual characters. Also—**

**_Sayo:_**** Oi! Urusai! *turns to readers* Ah, gomen. My creator tends to ramble in her Author's Notes.**

**_Me: _*****dejectedly* But, Sayo-chan—!**

**_Sandira: _****URUSAI! I can hear you all the way from ****Shinigami Through Time and Space****!**

**_Me: _****San-san! YOU CAME!**

**_Sandira:_**** Foreign Translations are at the end of the chapter.**

**Prologue:** **Hidden From View**

_"Yuzu! Karin!" An orange-haired teen ran towards to two young girls, about the same height, one with blonde hair and the other with raven hair._

_"Ichi-nii!" The light-haired one called out._

_"Come here, I've got someone who'd like to meet you."_

_The twins exchanged glances, and then the dark-haired one frowned at him._

_"I thought we met all the Ryoka, high-ranking officers and your other friends, though?"_

_"Well, this friend has been…unavailable…we've never got along, but we decided to come to terms with each other during the War. Anyway, you've never met face to face, but he's seen you enough times…"_

_"Who is it, Ichi-nii?"_

_"His name," the orange-haired boy said, "is Ogichi Shirosaki."_

_And he turned a corner in the impossible maze that was the Seireitei, revealing a colorless copy of him, with golden black eyes._

_"Yer King's siblin's?"_

* * *

Ichigo woke up. He'd been remembering centaury-old events recently. Usually he didn't start dwelling on the past unless something bad—as Zangetsu put it—was in the air.

Yawning, he stretched like a cat, a habit he'd gained after many training sessions with Yoruichi. She had forced him to stretch each and every one of his muscles before physical exercise, and it just so happened that cats did that every time they stretched.

He got dressed, donning the traditional black shihakusho, with his white Captain's haori overtop of it, showing his status as the Captain of the Fifth Squad.

Opening his doors, he went across the hall to his doppelgänger's room.

"Oi! Shiro! Wake up!"

"Iie…"

"Shiro!"

"Couple more minutes, Kuro?"

"And just who's gonna do your paperwork?"

"Zangetsu-ossan. Now le' me go ta sleep!"

"I expect you to be up before midday this time, Shiro!"

"...Hai…Kuro…"

"Tch," Ichigo snorted as he shunpo'd from his personal quarters to his office.

* * *

"Ichi-nii!"

Turning around, Ichigo saw his younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin running up to him. Well, Yuzu was running, Karin was more walking, really.

"Good morning, Yuzu! Karin!"

"Good morning, Ichi-nii," Yuzu said, "but where's Shiro-nii?"

"Lazy Hollow is sleeping in again," Ichigo sighed.

"Do you need us to wake him up?" Karin asked, a gleam in her eyes.

"No, Shiro's got hair-trigger reflexes _I_ wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of."

"Yes, because we all know your Hollow's kicked your ass before, Strawberry," an amused voice came from behind him.

Not even turning around, Ichigo replied, "Haha, very funny, Pineapple. But I did suppress him during the Winter War, didn't I? Even though I had no idea what I was doing?"

"So you admit you we clueless?"

"No! Just…I didn't know about Shiro's 'special circumstances'. Hell, even Hat 'n' Clogs and the other Vizards didn't realize it until during the invasion of Las Noches." Ichigo defended himself, whipping around.

"Just teasing. Because, _thankfully_, I can't say I know what it's like to have a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow living in my inner world." Renji said.

"I'm just glad my Hollow's _intelligent_," Ichigo said.

"Why thank ya, Kuro," said Hollow's voice called out.

"Shiro! You decided to get up after all?"

"Felt the Pineapple's reiatsu, figur'd he wanted somethin'." Shiro shrugged.

"So why _are_ you over at the Squad Five barracks, now that Shiro's brought it up, Renji?"

"Oh yeah! Soutaicho wanted you to report to Squad One, with Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya. I already gave the word to Rukia, I figured I'd tell you before going to the Tenth Squad."

"Should Shiro come?"

"You two are kind of like a package, take one, get the other," Renji explained. "The Head Captain knows that, really everyone in the Seireitei does. So yeah, I guess he should."

"'Kinda like a package?' Try more like 'two halves of da same soul'." Shiro said.

"But that description lacks in creativity," Karin said.

Red and orange Shinigami jumped, clearly they had forgotten about the two twin Shinigami girls. The Hollow frowned.

"Creativity don' really matter," the Hollow said. "I was goin' fer accuracy."

Before Shiro and Karin could begin a battle of wit and will, Yuzu stepped in. "Didn't Yamamoto-soutaicho want to see you?"

"Oh yeah! Shiro, let's go!" And with that the black and white twins shunpo'd away.

* * *

"So you've finally decided to grace us with your presence, Strawberry?" A strong, feminine voice teased.

"Urusai, midget," Ichigo growled.

"Konichiwa, Queen," Shiro grinned.

"How is it that the _Hollow_ half of your soul inherited the more polite personality?" Rukia asked.

"'Cause, da King don' know how ta listen ta his instincts, an' dat's me." Shiro replied, still grinning, readjusting the black haori over his white shihakusho.

Ichigo frowned. Nowadays, Shiro only called him "King" when talking to Rukia (who he called "Queen") or when trying to convey something important.

"Where's Toshiro?"

"Yea, where _is_ da segunda Shiro?" Shiro asked.

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you, Kurosaki. Shirosaki." A young voice said angrily, air freezing the air around him.

"Ah, Captain Hitsugaya," Rukia recognized.  
"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Kurosaki, Captain Shirosaki," Toshiro acknowledged each one of them.

"Come on, Head Captain's waitin'!" Shiro called out from his place near the entrance to the Captain's meeting room.

"Shiro's right, let's not keep Yama-jii waiting," Ichigo agreed.

* * *

"Ah, I'm glad the four of you made it here on time," Yamamoto began, "As you know, if you have been reviewing the recent reports, Hollow attacks have become more and more frequent other reishi-enriched lands, not just Rukongai, Seireitei and Karakura Town. An example of one of these reishi-rich lands is England."

"That's the in the Fifth Squad's jurisdiction, right?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, Europe's under our watch," Ichigo replied.

"Yes, that's why I asked Captains Kurosaki and Shirosaki here. Central 46 has agreed to sending a few Captain-level Shinigami to England to investigate, as that area is the one with the most Hollow activity." Yamamoto continued.

"Wait! How come Kuro an' I, weren't informed 'bout this? We have't been slackin' off on paperwork or nothin', so…how come we didn' know?" Shiro demanded.

"Onmitsukidō officers intercepted the information before it reached Squad Five barracks, seeing fit to bring it straight to my attention," the Head Captain explained patiently.

"The Stealth Force intercepted it? Just what kind of numbers are we talking about?"

"From an average of 15.4 a year to an average of 11.7 a week," Yamamoto replied tonelessly.

"What?! Dat's ridiculous!" Shiro exclaimed. Ichigo and Rukia muttered in agreement.

"Still," Toshiro said, in an effort to keep the peace, "that's less than the Hollow average for Karakura. Before the War it was 2.3 a day, now it's what, 3.8 a day? That's more than 20 a week, and that's for a just a large town, not an entire country. Can't the Fifth Division officers handle it?"

"Yes, well, it's not the ability of the officers stationed there that I'm worried about," Yamamoto admitted, "You see, according to Captain Soifon's report, the Hollow population raised to that amount in just over a day, sometime last year, and also, recently about 68.9% of the Hollows appearing are Menos Grande-level, some of them are even Arrancar."

"WHAT?!"

"Weren't the Arrancar all killed in the Winter War?" Toshiro asked.

"With a few exceptions," Ichigo interrupted, thinking of Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Harribel, Starrk and Lilynette, who'd all been spared after the War was won.

"Yes, weren't the Arrancar all killed in the Winter War, _with a few exceptions_?"

"You ai't sayin' dat lil' Nel an' such are attackin' England?" Shiro asked, in a tone of voice that said he wouldn't believe it even if they showed him hardcore evidence.

"No," Yamamoto said, "our computers would have picked up their reiatsu signals, after all we're very familiar with _those_ particular Arrancar."

"Understatement of the centaury," Ichigo muttered.

Shiro looked over at Ichigo in amusement.

"So, you've explained why Ichigo and Ogichi"—Shiro looked annoyed at the use of his real name—"are here, but what about Kuchiki and myself?"

"There are a few places in England where Hollows are swarming to, but only one where the more powerful Hollows are flocking to. According the report from the Onmitsukidō officers, it is called Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Excuse me? Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Rukia broke in, her tone disbelieving.

"Apparently a group of humans have a acquired spiritual powers, much like those of a Quincy, except these powers allow them to cast 'spells' and use 'magic', which is actually their reiatsu. As such, you will have no need for gigais, because they will have sufficient reiryoku to be able to see you clearly. Even their 'squibs', which are non-magical humans born into wizarding families, have enough reiryoku, though they cannot control their reiatsu quite like wizards and witches can. Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya, you will be posing as students as Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Captain Kurosaki will be the new 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' teacher; we have already cleared it with the Headmaster. All the Headmaster knows is that dangerous enemies from Japan are targeting Hogwarts and that Captain Kurosaki is there to fight them off. As a reward, we get to send two of our students to their school for a while. That's you, Captains Kuchiki and Hitsugaya. According to our cover story, you know nothing of this threat, that you're merely transfers. This will give you more freedom to pry into more…sensitive affairs if necessary. And because it would be awkward for a student to give orders to a teacher and it _is_ his jurisdiction, Captain Kurosaki is in charge of the mission. Understood?"

"_Ichigo's_ head of the mission?" Rukia asked, annoyed.

"A _student_?" Toshiro exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Shiro just looked amused. Oh man, this was going to be _fun!_

* * *

**_Me:_**** I've never read a story where Shiro calls Ichigo 'Kuro' even though Ichigo calls him 'Shiro'. I thought it would be a nice change of pace.**

**_Ichigo:_**** Cool, I'm a teacher! I can't wait to boss Rukia and Toshiro around!**

**_Me: _****A teacher with a cursed job!**

**_Ichigo:_**** …Aaaaand there goes my excitement.**

* * *

_-nii: _word/suffix meaning "big brother"

_Zangetsu: _moon slayer (the name of Ichigo's zanpakutō)

_shihakusho: _term meaning "garment of dead souls" (what Shinigami wear)

_haori: _a light weight coat worn over kimonos or, in this case, shihakusho.

_doppelgänger: _a German word meaning "double walker", doppelgängers are people who look identical to someone else (doppelgängers were thought to bring bad luck if some close to the person saw that person's doppelgänger but it brought death if the person saw the doppelgänger themselves)

_oi:_ a rude way to get someone's attention

_iie:_ no

_shiro: _white

_kuro:_ black

_-ossan:_ word/suffix that is the informal way of saying "old man"

_hai:_ yes

_shunpo:_ flash step (a technique used by Shinigami to move faster)

_Las Noches:_ Spanish for "The Nights"

_reiatsu:_ spiritual pressure

_-soutaicho:_ word/suffix meaning Head Captain /or/ Captain Commander

_Seireitei: _Court of Pure Souls (where the Shinigami reside)

_Shinigami: _death god

_urusai:_ shut up

_konichiwa:_ hello

_segunda: _Spanish for"second"

_-taicho:_ word/suffix meaning Captain

_-jii:_ a slightly more formal way of saying "old man" than "_ossan_"

_reishi:_ spirit particles

_Rukongai:_ Wandering Soul City

_Onmitsukidō: _Stealth Force (what do you _think _the Stealth Force is?)

_Menos Grande:_ Spanish for "Smaller Big" **_*EDIT*: Means "Less Big"_**

_Arrancar: _Spanish verb that means "to break" or "to tear"

_gigais:_ plural of "gigai" which means "fake body"

_reiryoku:_ spiritual energy


	2. 1 Preparation

**_Me:_**** Okay, fine, Menos Grande means "less big". That makes ****_way_**** more sense than "smaller big". And to think I've been studying Spanish for 9 years as of this fall.**

**_Sayo: _****Dumbass.**

**_Me: _****You guys are AWESOME! I published this, wake up the next morning, look at the reviews: 11. I had a freaking ****_heart attack_****, I swear. Since you guys are so awesome, we'll address each review separately today.**

**_Miyuki:_**_ultima-owner:_ **_'He has his work cut out for him'_**** Are you talking about Ichigo? Because if so, yes he does, yes he does.**

**_Amaya: _**_killroy225:_**_ 'Good story, please continue it.'_****Thank you. And, as you can see, SSKA is continuing it.**

**_Koh: _**_The Purple Jade: _**_'Yey! This is an amazing start! Love ya!'_**** Why, thank you! I'm glad to see we already have reviewers that are loyal, right, Kasumi-chan?**

**_Kasumi: _****Hai! **_hollowmouth:_ **_'Man it sounds real good and interesting. So this is 5 of HP? Is the toad lady going to be there since Ichigo is the DADA? Anyway keep it up; I also love the plot and everything. :)' _****The toad lady will make an appearance. But as to just how, that'll be revealed after a few more chapters, according to Sayo-nee, at least.**

**_Sayo: _**_animeholic94: _**_'I'm really liking the plot line for this and your writing is really good. I don't write myself but I know what good writing looks like and you definitely have it. Looking forward to when you write more of this story.'_**** Domo arigato! SSKA is not really sure what job she'll take when she gets one, but she's fairly sure she wants to write at least a few novels, so hearing non-biased praise for her writing really makes her happy! And when she's happy she tends to be less annoying!**

**_Me: _****And here I thought you were going to be nice for once, Sayo-chan. **_arandomreviewer:_ '**_You keep showing up in my usual haunts on this site. Am I going to have to get a restraining order? Lolz JK. Well teachy Ichi and student Rukia, good luck making that work. Will there be HitsuKarin? 'Cause as a guy I will shamelessly admit they're a freakin' cute and funny pairing, and, if the hints were any less subtle, practically canon. The above sentence makes my Run-on sense tingle. Oh God, I started a sentence with (be)'cause!'_**** YOU AGAIN! *points disbelieving finger* Anyway, my Auto-Correct doesn't say that it is a run-on, but Microsoft's not always that reliable. Since Karin going to be more of a supporting character, for now there will only be subtle hints, but I do enjoy me some HitsuKarin, so maybe more later. IchiRuki, too. And with the teacher Ichigo, student Rukia thing, I'm almost shuddering myself at how awkward that'll be.**

**_Shutumaru: _**_knight771:_**_ 'Great beginning. I hope you write the next chapter soon.'_**** Hopefully the next day counts as 'soon'. Arigato. *bows***

**_Nee-san:_**_ reedironbane: _**_'Good story and it is gonna be funny to read how the Shinigami goes in the Harry Potter-universe and how the gonna change the story. Now Toshiro can't say anything against Ichigo because of the student-teacher relationship'_**** Ha! So true, but Shiro-chan is probably planning to return the favor ten times worse when they return to Seireitei.**

**_Ichigo: _**_Guest: _**_'Ohhh this is good! Kuro and Shiro as teachers! One of the best idea's ever!' _****Thank you. I'm actually the teacher, but Shiro and Zangetsu-ossan will be helping with the teaching from my inner world…and Shiro's going to be in charge of detentions.**

**_Rukia:_** _witchsoul531: '_**_Ahh so that's what Arrancar means, I always wondered...so if I conjugate it, it would be: Yo—arranco, tú—arrancas, él/ella/usted—arranca, nosotros—arrancamos, vosotros—arrancáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes—arrancan….whaa, now that looks weird...'_**** That does look weird. You took the time to conjugate the infinitive for your review? Wow. In this fanfic, I know Spanish so: DON'T FORGET YOUR ACCENTS! Gomen, SSKA's Spanish teacher always reminds her of that. **

**_Toshiro:_**_ tenzaichigo:_**_ 'Isn't menos better translated as less rather than smaller because in Spanish, in this situation, it's used as an adjective rather than an adverb, since it sounds better as "less big". This story seems awesome though. Good job!'_**** Yes, SSKA's already addressed the fact that she's a dumbass. And I feel obliged to thank you.**

**_Me:_**** *voice dripping with sarcasm* Wow, thank you, Toshiro. And I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. LET THE STORY COMMENCE!**

* * *

**1. Preparation**

"So, Yama-jii," Ichigo said, "are you going to tell us more? We can't go on what seems to be a long term mission without more information."

"Kisuke Urahara will tell you more," Yamamoto replied.

"Hat 'n' Clogs?" Shiro looked surprised, "Why not Clown Face?"

"Would you prefer Captain Kurotsuchi?" Yamamoto asked, sounding vaguely surprised.

Shiro quickly shook his head, "No, I don' trust Clown Face! Creepy bastard's always tryin' ta get sample o' me an' Kuro. Jus' thought you'd assign Clown Face, seein' as he's a Captain, unlike Hat 'n' Clogs."

"True, I'd prefer to hand authority over to a Captain based in the Seireitei, but considering that Captain Kurotsuchi has been complaining about lack of a specimen recently…and considering that you Captains of Squad Five are uniquely two-of-a-kind…"

"One of a kind," Ichigo cut in, "Shiro and I are still the same soul."

"Which makes it even more of a bad reason to place your well-being in the hands of Captain Kurotsuchi," Yamamoto finished.

"Alright, Head Captain," Toshiro began, "is Urahara coming here or are we going to the World of the Living?"

"The Kidō Corps has prepared the Senkaimon already. Now get going, it may be summer, but you have to be at the school by September 1st."

"September 1st?" Ichigo looked confused at the deadline.

"We _are_ infiltrating a school, Kurosaki," Toshiro said dryly.

"…Urusai."

* * *

"Ah, Ichigo-kun! Shiro-kun! Toshiro-kun! Rukia-chan!" Urahara's voice rang out.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Urahara," Toshiro snapped.

"Get on with it, Hat 'n' Clogs!" Ichigo said.

"Get on with what?" Urahara asked innocently.

"The _mission_…to England," Rukia clarified.

"Nani? I was never informed of such a thing," Urahara teased.

"Hat 'n' Clogs…" Shiro growled.

"Fine, fine! Don't get angry, Shiro-kun! Follow me!"

The four Captains followed Urahara to the underground training room. Once there, Urahara thankfully spared them the normal naïve act ("Who put this giant underground training cave underneath the shop?") and skipped straight to the details.

"I believe you know the position you're all supposed to take up? Ichigo is going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Rukia and Toshiro will be students."

"Captain Hitsugaya, Urahara!"

"You're going to be posing as a student in England," Urahara said, grinning, "you're going to have to get used to the informality. Such as immediate first-name basis, no honorifics and some people will ask you your name before saying theirs."

"'Kay, but wha' 'bout me?" Shiro asked.

"You're the ace up our sleeves. Not even the Headmaster, Dumbledore, knows about you. You'll stay in Ichigo's inner world with his zanpakutō until needed."

Shiro sniffed, "S'long as it doesn' rain an' Zangetsu-ossan actually _talks_ ta me. But, I think I'll wait 'til we're done here."

"Very good! Now, Ichigo, I bet you want to know what your job as a teacher is all about!"

"Actually, I didn't really think about that…"

"It's all right! Here sit down, I'll explain! The Dark Arts is a branch of evil and dark magic according to definition, though not all Dark Wizards are evil—just most of them. Defense Against the Dark Arts is about how to defend yourself and others against various threats that the dark magical creatures and dark magic can inflict on you. Ichigo will be teaching this."

"Hang on! How will I teach a subject I don't know?"

Rukia glared at him, "You _just_ thought of this?"

"Urusai, midget. Well, Urahara?" Ichigo asked, to see Urahara waving two letters at them.

"I sent Yoruichi to get some reading material on the subject when she got the supplies on these letters. Here's some"—at this Urahara pulled out a thick stack of books from seemingly nowhere—"let's see…_Defense for Beginners_, _Magick Creatures of the Nighte_, _Basic Defensive and Offensive Charms_, that one's actually a Charm book but you'll need to know _some _magic, _Jinxes, Hexes and Curses_, one again, that's a Charm book, _A Guide to the Fantastic World of Wizarding_, _Dragonology_, _Monsterology_, _The Darke Arts from Curses to Unforgivables_, that book is illegal and you'll have to read it here over the summer, _Shadowed Spells_ and…let's see, this one is _Advanced Auror Worthy Spells_."

"Okay, what are those letters?"

"Letters that confirm Rukia and Toshiro's acceptance into Hogwarts. The only thing Yoruichi didn't get is your wands, but we'll cover that later. For now let's focus on these books, hai?"

"Can we see them?" Rukia asked curious. Urahara handed the letters over without complaint, and Ichigo looked over Rukia's shoulder at hers. It was addressed to 'Rukia Kuchiki, Underground Training Room, Urahara Shouten, Karakura Town, Japan'.

"How did they know exactly where I was?" Rukia muttered.

"Open it!" Ichigo said, still looking over her shoulder:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Rukia Kuchiki,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Then their was a second page:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_**HOGWARTS UNIFORM**  
_

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

**_COURSE BOOKS_**

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk_

_Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard _

___Magick Creatures of the Nighte by Katherine Creepe_

**_OTHER EQUIPMENT (Normally for first years)_**

_1 wand (bring yours)_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_You should that: students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

**_Note: _**_Due to your unique circumstances, the following books (the ones the other students have already read) will be sent to your residence:_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 2) by Miranda Goshawk_

_Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Standara Book of Spells (Grade 3) by Miranda Goshawk_

_The Monster Book of Monsters by Unknown_

_Intermidate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_Standard Book of Spells (Grade 4) by Miranda Goshawk_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Thimble  
_

"Oi, Ichigo," Rukia said, looking at _Defensive Magical Theory_ (one of the books Yoruichi _had_ 'purchased'), "has your English improved from when you were alive?"

"Knowing the language of the area that's in your jurisdiction is a requirement, Rukia. You should know that; your jurisdiction is North America right? So you had to learn English, Spanish and French." Toshiro said.

"Yeah, it was a pain to learn all those tongues when I was appointed Squad Three Captain. I already knew some English from when I was posing as a student at Karakura, and I picked up some Spanish during the Winter War from the Arrancar, but it was still a pain." Rukia said.

"Toshiro you know English, right?" Ichigo asked suddenly, "After all your jurisdiction is just the Mediterranean, I'm pretty sure they don't speak English…"

"Yes, I do," Toshiro explained, "I was the Lieutenant of Squad Three before I became the Captain of Squad Ten, not that you're old enough to know that."

"Wait, I thought Kira had graduated before you?"

"He was still a member of Squad Four at the time, if you must know," Toshiro snapped, examining the book on dragons.

"Rukia, Toshiro, you're staying here for a few weeks, catching up on the curriculum you missed."

"I thought we were going at the start of the term?"

"Oh, Headmaster Dumbledore requested we send two fifth year students, for whatever reason. So you're posing as fifth years, even if you look more like first and second years respectively," Urahara explained. "Here's the rest of what you need to know! Sayonara!" Urahara threw a thick folder at Shiro, who caught it, then he shunpo'd away before Toshiro could realize he'd been called short.

**_"URAHARA!"_**

* * *

"Oi, Rukia, Toshiro, Shiro, look at this," Ichigo called from where he was reading _Magick Creatures of the Nighte_. As the three crowded around Ichigo, he pointed out what he was looking at.

_Shinigami_

_A feared creature of the Darke Arts. An abomination that takes human form and destroys the souls of the innocent for no reason, not even sustenance. Even more terrible than dementors, we can only pray these creatures are truly extinct._

"I find that mildly offensive," Rukia commented.

"Mildly? It jus' mistook ya for Hollows!" Shiro said, clearly amused.

"Keep reading," Toshiro said, looking disturbed.

_Shinigami, also known as Soul Reapers or Death Gods, believed themselves to be gods, as the name they gave themselves clearly points out. They truly were next to immortal, for while they could be killed, they did not age as we did, which most likely led to the belief that they were some sort of deity._

_Originating from Japan, they wore what they called shihakusho, or "the garment of dead souls". Maybe they thought that that souls they destroyed were somehow transferred to their clothing? They wore the shihakusho like a uniform, making it easy for them to be identified. _

Next to these words was a drawn portrait of a young male Shinigami wearing a shihakusho, zanpakutō unsheathed and held in front of him in an offensive manner, a young soul bowing its head before him.

_Each Shinigami wielded a sword, usually a katana, that they called their zanpakutō, or "soul-slaying sword". This what they channeled their horrid ability to destroy souls from. Each Shinigami named their zanpakutō, usually something intimidating. These magick creatures are able to channel their magick through their swords, much like wizards channel power through their wands. However, when in the process of channeling magick, they sometimes cause their swords to change shape entirely, sometimes turning into something completely different like a mace or a scythe._

_Shinigami also had a special form of "magick" they called "Kidō", which means "Demon Arts." The fact that they would name their magick something like this—_

"Damn, these wizards really seem ta hate ya," Shiro said.

"How do they know so much about Shinigami?" Rukia asked, horrified.

"Do they know about gigais? If so, we're in trouble. Right now, even though we don't need gigais, they seem like a good idea." Toshiro said.

"No. I don't think they know about gigais," Ichigo said staring at the ancient-looking tome, "this book is _old_. And from the sound of it, they think we're extinct. Why bother keeping a lookout for something if it's extinct? We _should_ ask Urahara for gigais, the ones based after the Sekkiseki stone's properties for sealing reiatsu, just to be safe."

"Dat makes sense, Kuro," Shiro agreed. Toshiro and Rukia also nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Toshiro, Rukia, go back to your books," Ichigo said, resuming to read _Magick Creatures of the Nighte_.

"Who do you think you are to boss us around like that?"

"Your professor," Ichigo said smugly.

* * *

Later that week, the books promised in the letter _did_ arrive, much to Rukia and Toshiro's dismay. At this rate, they wouldn't be finished before they had to leave for England!

Meanwhile, Ichigo, Zangetsu (who'd been materialized) and Shiro had divvied up the books they needed to read, not reading one book if the other had read it, covering the material three times as fast. Due to the fact that Ichigo and Shiro were one and the same, they could communicate with their minds much like a zanpakutō and its Shinigami could, meaning that only one of them really had to read something, and then they could tell the other one. Ichigo, Shiro and Zangetsu were completely taking advantage of this, in fact they had already finished the material by the time Rukia and Toshiro's books arrived.

According to Urahara, Headmaster Dumbledore, leader of something called 'the Order of the Phoenix', and Head Captain Yamamoto, who had convinced Dumbledore he was the leader of a group separate to the government, also against the Dark Arts, had created an alliance, and because of this Ichigo and company would be spending the last months of summer at the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters.

"Dumbledore believes that Rukia and Toshiro know about 'the Guild of the Moon', as Yamamoto saw fit to name our little group, but are not members. He also thinks that Ichigo is a senior member of the guild, so you two have to act respectful towards him." Urahara had said.

This had annoyed Rukia and Toshiro, but they hadn't complained…too much.

"So," Urahara had concluded, "you better finish those books within the week!" The he'd left, laughing. Or tried to leave, at least. Ichigo was still pretty sure Urahara was frozen in place, even though it had been a few days.

"That's it," Toshiro sighed, turning towards Ichigo who was playing chess with his Hollow, "we're finally finished."

"Hmmm? Thought you said it'd take at least several more days?" Ichigo asked, moving his black knight to take one of Shiro's white rooks.

"Well, we're finished."

"Best ta go unfreeze Hat 'n' Clogs." Shiro commented, moving his queen a few spaces. "Checkmate."

Ichigo scowled. "Fine, you win." He said, knocking over his king.

"Are you even paying attention, Kurosaki?" Toshiro demanded.

"Professor Kurosaki," Ichigo corrected absentmindedly.

"Oh, yes, sorry, _Professor_," Rukia said sarcastically.

"Wanna play again, Kuro?" Shiro asked.

"Sure. We can't do much else, seeing as _some_ people decided to _freeze_ the person who was currently our only source of information." Ichigo said, not even looking at the two ice-wielding Captains.

"You would've too," Rukia said.

"If I could freeze people," Ichigo agreed, "but I can't, so I get full rights to accuse you two."

The temperature dropped severely, but Ichigo and Shiro ignored it, continuing to play chess.

"Well, ya gonna unfreeze Hat 'n' Clogs or not?" Shiro asked, looking at the two small Shinigami.

"Let's go, Ku—Rukia," Toshiro said, walking away. It had been made perfectly clear that they'd have to get used to calling each by their first names (with the exception of Ichigo).

* * *

Finally, the day of their departure to England had arrived. Urahara was avoiding Toshiro and Rukia, standing a good hundred meters away for them in the underground training room.

"BEFORE YOU ALL LEAVE," he shouted from his far-away position, "SOME PEOPLE CAME FROM SEIREITEI TO SAY GOODBYE!"

And with that, Urahara's Senkaimon shimmered, than a bunch of people ran out, followed by the same number of Hell Butterflies. Rangiku Matsumoto, Uryu Ishida, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, Isshin Kurosaki, Yuzu Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki, Momo Hinamori, Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai…

"Urahara told us that you're going to England for a year or so," Renji said.

"Yeah. Arrancar have been popping up, though they're not anyone we know," Ichigo added hastily.

"Well these four got to go!" Urahara said, "Say your goodbyes and whatever else!"

"Take care, Shiro-chan," Momo said. "You to, Kuchiki-taicho, Kurosaki-taicho, Shirosaki-taicho!"

"Don't do anything stupid, Ichigo, Shiro, Rukia!" Renji called.

"Don't be reckless, Kurosaki, Shirosaki," Uryu advised.

"Take care, Kurosaki-kun! Shirosaki-kun! Kuchiki-chan! Toshiro-kun!" Orihime said cheerfully.

"Be careful." Chad intoned.

"GOODBYE, MY WONDERFULLY IDENTICAL SONS!" Isshin yelled, flinging himself at Ichigo and Shiro, who kicked him in the face simultaneously.

"Goodbye, Ichi-nii, Shiro-nii, Rukia-nee," Yuzu called sadly.

"'Bye, Toshiro, Ichi-nii, Shiro-nii, Rukia-nee," Karin said.

"Be careful, Rukia, Hitsugaya-taicho. Don't be stupid, Kurosaki, Shirosaki," Byakuya said.

"CAPTAIN!" Rangiku said tearfully, pulling Toshiro into a hug, crushing him with her…assets. Karin glared at the sight, flushing slightly.

"Don' squish 'im, Ran-chan," Shiro called over to the two, "we still need 'im."

As Rangiku released Toshiro, Urahara stepped in between the two groups, "Alright, now Shiro, you go back to Ichigo's inner world…Now, that that's done, I've prepared a special Senkaimon that'll open up to a pre-designated meeting place in England. From there a few Order members will guide you the rest of the way!"

Stepping aside, Urahara revealed a multi-colored portal that _definitely_ hadn't been there before. The four, now three, Captains nodded at the people watching them, then stepped through the portal.

* * *

**_Me: _*****goes to start writing chapters for my other fanfics so reviewers don't murder me***

**_Sayo: _****Don't expect such a fast update next time. SSKA needs to finish her mountain of homework. And before anyone says that we forgot about the wands, don't worry, we haven't.**

* * *

_Kidō: _Demon Arts

_Senkaimon: _World Tunneling Gate

_-kun: _honorific normally used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker. A male might address female inferiors by -kun, usually in schools or companies. It can be attached to both surnames and given names. It is less polite than -san. It isn't used between women or when addressing one's superiors.

_-chan:_ honorific often attached to children's names when calling them by their given names. It can also be attached to kinship terms in a childish language.

_nani: _what

_sayonara: _goodbye

_Sekkiseki: _Spirit Reducing Stone

_-nee:_ word/suffix meaning "big sister"


	3. 2 Goblins, Metamorphmagus and Wands

**_Me: _****Remember what Sayo said about not expecting fast updates? Screw that. As long it fits into my schedule, expect ****_really_**** fast for the time being, as my muse is very strong.**

**_Sayo: _****Three updates in quick succession. Damn, SSKA, don't ****_run yourself into the ground_****.**

**_Me: _*****slowly dying of exhaustion* What was that?**

**_Nee-san:_**** Thanks to **_Guest_**, **_The Purple Jade_**, **_soulmoon_**, **_killroy225_**, **_Mathlete64_**, **_Maverick14th_**, **_alchemists19_**, **_Qwerty321_**, **_Yui_**, **_arandomreviewer_**, **_Tom man_**, **_Not-Your-Busines_**, **_ichigo-lover-1412_**, **_Guest_**, **_SupaCrazee_**, **_witchsoul531_**,** _That Punk Rock Chick, Guest_ **and**_ 3Alaska3._**  
**

**_Shiro:_** **SSKA requested dat I answer some o' ya reviewers:**

_Guest:_ **Some crazy lady named 'Katherine Creepe'. Tch. Dat lady don' know the first thin' 'bout Shinigami.**

_The Purple Jade:_ **Thank ya.**

_soulmoon:_ **Hat 'n' Clogs sure didn' enjoy bein' froze over.**

_killroy225:_**Not sure if "Umbitch" was intentional or a mistake, but I have ta agree: dat toad's a bitch. And yea, she'll be here, but SSKA won' tell me how she'll fit in da plot.**

_Mathelete64: _**Thank ya for yer Chap 1. review. Fer yer Chap 2. review: we're workin' on it, an' ninjas wouldn't stand a chance 'gainst Kuro an' me in our Bankai.**

_Maverick14th:_**Thank ya. An' you'll see der magic sticks—'cuse me, ****_wands_****—in dis chapter.**

alchemists19: **Thank ya.**

_Qwerty321:_**Once 'gain: thank ya.**

_Yui:_**Thank ya. And Queen gave me an answer ta yer Spanish: ****_'Sí. IchiRuki es mi pareja favorita tambié a trabajar a la misma a lo largo de el cuento. Perdón por errores gramaticales y otros errores!'_****'Kay, I don' know wha' any o' dat means, but I'm gonna assume it's thankin' ya.**

_arandomreviewer:_**Wha da heck? Even SSKA's not dat insane! And glad ya like SSKA's not-too-subtle hints o' HitsuKarin.**

_Tom man:_**Thank ya. 'Quentin Thimble,' eh? Hopefully he's more sensible den Katherine Creepe.**

_Not-Your-Busines:_**Tch. Puppy eyes? Dat migh' work on SSKA, but don' even try it on me!**

_ichigo-lover-1412:_**Nice name. Kuro'll like it I bet. ****_*snicker*_**** An' ta answer yer question: It's a gift. SSKA's modest to ****_*not*._**** I thought dat part was funny to, who knew Kuro had it in 'im to be funny?**

_Guest:_**Lots o' goodbyes is 'cause we have lots o' friends.**

_SupaCrazee: _**Thanks?**

_witchsoul531:_**Don' worry. SSKA's been takin' Spanish fer 9 years and she still has trouble wit' grammar/accents.**

_That Punk Rock Chick:_**Ya ran a mile in 7 minutes? Dat's pretty good. Thank ya an' yer welcome.**

_Guest: _**Thank ya.**

_3Alaska3:_** Glad ta see we've awaken yer int'rest.**

**_Ichigo:_**** SSKA is not J. K. Rowling or Tite Kubo, because if she were she'd be trolling you way more.**

* * *

Normal Text

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

_Writing inside the story_

**'Shiro inside Ichigo's mind'**

**_'zanpakutō'_**

**"Foreign Dialogue/Japanese"**

* * *

**2. Goblins, Metamorphmagus and Wands  
**

Ichigo, Rukia and Toshiro landed gracefully on their feet as they were thrown out of Urahara's "special Senkaimon". Well, mostly. Ichigo stumbled slightly, but caught himself.

They were in an abandoned meadow in the middle of a dark forest.

**"Wow, Urahara sure picked a pleasant meeting place,"** Rukia deadpanned.

**'Beautiful scenery, too,'** Shiro commented, as Ichigo glanced at Rukia.

_'I really hope you're joking, there are more dead trees here than there are souls in the Rukongai,'_ Ichigo replied.

**'Dense, aren't you?'** Shiro said, laughing.

_'What is it? Shiro!'_ But Ichigo's Hollow wouldn't answer him.

"Are you the Japanese wizards that were supposed to meet me here?" A female voice called.

**"Who's there?"** Ichigo called back.

"Sorry, I speak only a little bit of Japanese, do you know English?" The voice said apologetically.

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, who're you?"

"Nymphadora Tonks. But call me Tonks." The voice said as a woman stepped out of the shadows. The most noticeable thing about her was her bright pink hair. It reminded the three Shinigami of another pink-haired girl they knew: Yachiru.

**'Let's hope her personality's different, at least,'** Shiro said, mentally shuddering.

**_'Agreed,'_** Zangetsu murmured.

"Are you a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" Toshiro asked without preamble.

"Oi, Toshiro, they're a _secret_ group. If she's not then you kind of just ruined the secret." Ichigo scolded, and enjoying himself immensely.

"No harm done," Tonks said, "I'm a member of the Order. And so then I'm assuming you're a member of the Guild of the Moon?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, "and you're supposed to take us to where we need to go?"

"Yep! Judging by your trunks you have everything?"

"Except our wands," Ichigo said, remembering that they'd been supposed to acquire some, "our old ones, uh, snapped."

"Oh! I'm sorry! If you didn't have everything we were going to go to Diagon Alley…so…come here! I'll Apparate you to Diagon Alley!"

"Uh…sure," Ichigo said. Zangetsu was currently informing him about Apparition, which he'd read about it _Advanced Auror Worthy Spells_.

**_'Apparition is a magical method of transportation and is basically the magical action of travelling by having the user focus on a desired location in their mind, then disappear from their current location and instantly reappear at the desired location. Side-Along Apparation is a variant that allows two or more people to be transported at once.'_**

"I assume we're going to be using Side-Along Apparation?" Ichigo said carefully.

"Yep! Just grab my arm and we'll be off!" Tonks exclaimed happily.

Toshiro and Rukia glanced at each other, then at Ichigo, who—after Zangetsu had told him to—had immediately grabbed Tonks' arm.

"Well? Come on, Toshiro, Rukia." He said.

They grabbed Tonks' arm, Toshiro glaring at Ichigo for using his given name, but unable to really complain without raising suspicion.

"Here we go!"

They are in front of a shabby-looking pub, the three Shinigami looking sick but they managed to control their stomachs.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!"

* * *

**'Who in their right mind names someplace after defective kettles?'**

**_'A cauldron is not a kettle, Ogichi,'_** Zangetsu corrected.

**'Whatever, old man. My message was clear.'** Shiro growled.

_'I…have to…agree with…Shiro,'_ Ichigo muttered; clearly still feeling unwell from the experience of Apparating.

**'You okay, Kuro?'**

_'Fine. Just fine.'_

"Oi, Ichigo," Rukia hissed, poking his side, "you zoned off."

"Gomen, Rukia," Ichigo whispered under his breath.

"What did Zangetsu have to say?" Rukia asked, clearly she had understood why Ichigo had zoned off.

"…A cauldron is not a kettle." He replied, leaving a confused Rukia behind as he followed the hyperactive Tonks and the calm Toshiro.

**'Well, she did ask what ****_Zangetsu_**** had to say,'** Shiro laughed.

* * *

Tonks led them through the crowded bar to an old bartender.

"Wotcher, Tom," she said, "mind if you take care of these student's trunks while we're in Diagon Alley?"

"No problem, Nymphadora," Tom said.

"It's _Tonks_," Tonks muttered under her breath.

"Let's go, the sooner we're done, the sooner we can go to our destination," Ichigo murmured to Tonks, who nodded.

* * *

Tonks led them out back, to an abandoned alley blocked off by a brick wall, the only objects in the alley were a few trash cans, one of which was leaning against the brick wall. Drawing her wand, Tonks tapped the bricks above the trash can, saying, "Remember, it's three up, two across."

Before Ichigo could ask what she meant, the brick wall shuddered, then folded in on itself, creating a large doorway.

"Welcome," Tonks announced with a flourish, "to Diagon Alley!"

* * *

**-Side POV: 3PL: Toshiro Hitsugaya-**

Toshiro had to suppress the urge to let his mouth hang open in surprise, a feat that eluded Rukia, but was surprisingly well-done by Ichigo, who had just blinked.

**"I read about Diagon Alley's…unique barrier in a book," **Ichigo explained to Toshiro in Japanese, when he saw his questioning gaze,** "but I didn't expect it…to be quite like this…"**

Tonks glanced at Ichigo, "What?"

"Just explaining to my students about the barrier, we don't have something like this in Japan," Ichigo said.

Tonks grinned, "I remember my first time seeing Diagon Alley! My mother said my eyes practically popped out of their sockets!"

Ichigo said something to her in reply, but Toshiro wasn't listening anymore.

Looking around 'Diagon Alley' he saw a motley of people. Some wore black robes and pointy hats, others wore painfully bright colors, which sometimes clashed horribly. Toshiro could've sworn he saw a man wearing a frog for a hat at one point.

Rukia seemed to be paying close attention to Ichigo and Tonks' conversation, and though Toshiro figured he should be listening to, he allowed his gaze to travel over the names of the some of the shops. "Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour", "Quality Quidditch Supplies", "Eeylops Owl Emporium", and "Flourish & Blotts" were some of the more popular shops.

Scanning the crowd, he didn't see anyone too horribly suspicious, with the exception of a group of shady-looking witches that seemed to be staying in the shadows of one "Knockturn Alley".

"Look there!" Tonks exclaimed suddenly, causing Toshiro to start and glance up at a huge white marble building with a slightly crooked build. "Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank!"

"Ah yes," Ichigo said, though from the look the flashed across his face, Toshiro deduced he had no idea what she was talking about.

**_'Master,'_** Hyōrinmaru rumbled from Toshiro's inner world, **_'do you remember when you were reading that one book that Urahara produced as _****_extra-curricular_****_ reading? 'Mysteries and Majesties of the Wizarding World: From the Beginning to the Fall of He-Who-Must-Be-Named'? I mentioned Gringotts, the international bank run by goblins. And didn't Urahara say that the Seireitei had given us a vault?'_**

_'I remember now,'_ Toshiro muttered, _'Vault 1001. The key that he gave Ichigo…'_

"Professor Kurosaki," Toshiro bit out, hating the words as they came out, "do you have your key to our vault?"

"Wha–? Oh, of course! Vault 1001," he added, almost to himself.

"Let's see," Tonks muttered, "thirty-five Galleons is the most I'd be prepared to pay for wands for the three of you. And you'll want spending money…maybe take out sixty, thirty Galleons to split among you and some Sickles and Knuts, setting aside another thirty-five? If you have that much!"

"We'll see," Ichigo muttered.

"Now the goblins don't really like me, I'm too clumsy," Tonks said, "so if you don't mind…"

The Shinigami watched in awe as Tonks' pink hair turned emerald green, her cheekbones became more pronounced, her nose became crooked, as if someone had broken it, and her eyes turned bright blue.

"Well? Haven't you seen a Metamorphmagus before? Just kidding! We're not that common…can change our appearance at will, y'know," Tonks began to ramble, as they continued walking.

* * *

**-Main POV: 3PO: Ichigo Kurosaki-**

They came to the great bronze doors that were guarded by two goblins in outfits of red and gold, armed with long pikes. They eyed the Shinigami distrustfully, and looked at Tonks with no recognition, unsurprisingly, as Tonks had completely changed her appearance.

"What business have you here?" The one on the right hissed, lowering his pike. Tonks looked surprised, as if she'd been expecting little to no resistance.

"We, uh–" She began.

"Don't worry," Ichigo said, "we're just here to collect wizarding money–then we'll leave."

"…Ah, yes," the one on the left began, "Griphook was telling us that some of your ilk began to use a vault recently. Don't know how they acquired the money, though. Thought your ilk used different currency…Vault 1001, no?"

Now Tonks looked extremely confused.

"Yes," Toshiro said coldly, "our 'ilk'. The Japanese wizarding community would _love_ to here you say that." He nodded almost unperceptively towards Tonks, who was in front of him and couldn't see his gesture.

The goblins got the message. "Finish your business. And tread carefully: some of us would be more welcome than some of your own."

"Like You-Know-Who?" Tonks asked, trying to shake off some of her confusion.

The goblins eyed her. "Well, he certainly _wouldn't_ be welcome here." They lifted their pikes and allowed the four to pass through the first set of doors.

The second pair of doors was a set of large silver doors bearing the inscription:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there._

**'Taking their greeting at the door into consideration, they sure are a friendly bunch, aren't they?'** Shiro commented dryly.

_**'That inscription teaches a valuable lesson, Ogichi, you would do well to listen to it,'**_ Zangetsu informed him.

**'Are you implying something, old man?'** Shiro hissed.

_**'Yes,'**_ Zangetsu deadpanned.

Ichigo almost snorted out loud. But restraining himself, he walked alongside Tonks through the silver doors. After that were a pair of gold doors, nothing really notable about them.

They walked into a large room filled with wizards and other creatures, but mostly–goblins. The goblins in question, along with some of the other creatures, turned to whip their heads around to stare at the Death Gods.

"What'd we do to attract this kind of attention?" Tonks murmured to Ichigo, who shrugged, though he knew full well why.

The quartet walked up to the main goblin's desk, feeling stares burning into the backs of their heads.

"Can I…help you?" The goblin asked warily.

"We've just come to make a withdrawal," Ichigo said. When the goblin stiffened he added, "Vault 1001. Wizarding money."

**'Did they actually think you'd come to collect their souls?'** Shiro muttered in disbelief.

**_'That is likely, considering how the goblin stiffened so suddenly,'_** Zangetsu answered.

"Do you have your key?" The goblin asked.

Ichigo pulled out a slender silver key with gold embroidery that said _'G. B. v. 1001'_, which probably stood for 'Gringotts Bank, vault 1001,' thought one could never be sure.

"Very well," the goblin said almost _too_ politely, "Griphook! Bogrod! Nagnok! Vargot!" Four goblins, three able-bodied ones, and one old goblin, with a gleam of intelligence in his weary eyes, appeared. "Escort the Shi–"

"Japanese wizards," Ichigo interrupted.

"Japanese wizards. Escort the _Japanese wizards_ and friend to Vault 1001." The head goblin amended, staring hard at Ichigo in disapproval, but wary of inciting the Death God's wrath.

"This is the most goblins I've ever seen escort a group this small," Tonks muttered.

"Maybe it's 'cause we're foreign?" Ichigo tried.

"Nah, I've seen the goblins deal with foreigners with only a single goblin before," Tonks replied.

"Well, who knows? Maybe something happened to make the goblins extra-careful." Toshiro supplied.

"Maybe," Tonks agreed.

* * *

They were rather deep into Gringotts when they hear a loud roar.

"That's the roar of an angry dragon," Toshiro muttered, frowning, "it sounds like it's in pain…I wonder if it misses flying?" He tilted his head to the side in an almost adorable manner, trying to let Hyōrinmaru decipher the dragon's pained roars, probably.

"How would you know?" Tonks asked.

"The Japanese believe first-hand experience to be extremely important," Rukia quickly explained, "our school, Shino Academy, took us on a…um…field trip, to dragon country. Toshiro was one of the few of who actually saw a dragon. We all heard them though."

Ichigo was amazed how easily the lie slipped off her tongue. '_Either she planned ahead to explain Toshiro's inevitable pro-dragon actions, or she's just a really good liar.'_ Neither Shiro or Zangetsu replied.

"It's blind," Toshiro murmured, so softly that Ichigo heard him.

"Don't go emo on me, Toshiro," he hissed, "there's nothing you can do for Hyōrinmaru's kin. Let. It. Go. Now. Before something happens."

Toshiro gave him a reproachful glare, "I was just translating out loud. I could stop if you want me to, _Strawberry_. But I was _not_ being emo!"

Ichigo glanced over at Tonks, who was talking animatedly with Rukia.

"It would be a good idea not to advertise that you can talk to dragons," Ichigo said dryly, "considering how much damage our cover's already taken in one day alone."

"Not my fault _you_ can't control your reiatsu, it's leaking everywhere. The goblins probably recognized the stench of death on it, and maybe even your Hollow's bloodlust as well." Toshiro hissed.

"It's because I'm irritated," Ichigo bit back, trying to reign in his excessive reiatsu.

"We're here," the old goblin, Bogrod, announced.

"Lamp please," Nagnok said. Rukia handed him the lamp.

"Key please," requested Vargot. Ichigo handed him the key. Vargot preceded to open the vault.

Looking in, the quartet felt their jaws drop. Mountains upon mountains of gold 'Galleons' were everywhere, along with hills of silver 'Sickles' and bronze 'Knuts'.

Ichigo quickly grabbed 45 Galleons (35 for the wands, remember), a few handfuls of Sickles, and a single handful of Knuts. Then he gestured for Rukia and Toshiro to do the same, who "obediently" grabbed of handful of each type of coin.

"Let's go." Ichigo said. The goblins closed the vault behind them and they rode back to the surface it the goblin's cart without too many complications, aside from Tonks' occasional questions.

* * *

Needlessly to say, all four of them relaxed severely as they left the snow-white building.

"Off to Olivander's for your wands, hai?" Tonks said, seemingly happy with her use of a Japanese word. The Shinigami exchanged amused glances, but said nothing.

* * *

_Olivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._

Yep. That's what the sign said.

"382 B.C.?" Rukia exclaimed.

"Olivander himself isn't quite _that_ old," Tonks said, good-naturedly, "but the shop's been in his family for years. Go on in."

* * *

Toshiro went first, followed by Tonks, who'd returned to her previous appearance of pink hair and dark eyes, Rukia and then Ichigo.

"Hello? Mr. Olivander? I have three costumers for you!"

"Nymphadora Tonks, 14 in., rowan wood, unicorn hair," a cheerful voice said, as a frazzled old man stepped into view.

"Yes, I have three Japanese wizards here for there second wands. There first wands were accidentally snapped…" Tonks said, adding the last part as Olivander's gaze turned questioning.

"Tragic, but understandable," Olivander said, "here you first, young lady. And who might you be?"

"Rukia Kuchiki," Rukia answered, stepping forward.

"All right, Miss Kuchiki. I just need to take some measurements…" And Olivander conjured up a tape measure that–moving of its own volition–started to measure everywhere imaginable: between her eyes, her forearm, her waist, her foot, her fingernail…

"Let's see, try this one," Olivander said, pulling on a long slender black box, "9 in., white pine, phoenix feather."

Rukia picked up the slender wand a gave it a wave, immediately the windows shattered.

"Ah, gomen!" Rukia said sheepishly.

"Never mind, I'll fix it later. Let's see, I'm fairly sure it's too short, maybe too fiery of a core for you. Definitely the right wood, though." Olivander replied, unfazed, "try this, 12 in., white pine, unicorn hair."

Rukia waved the wand, and sent Ichigo flying into her.

**_"OW! RUKIA!"_** Ichigo growled loudly, grumbling as he moved into a corner of the shop, where–hopefully–he wouldn't be sent flying into another ice-wielding midget.

"Sorry, Ichi–Professor," Rukia muttered as she set the wand down.

Tonks was to busy laughing to notice Rukia's slip-up. "I've NEVER seen THAT happen before! Ha! Priceless!"

"Too much length means not enough control," Olivander muttered, "Try this one: 10 in., polished white pine, two unicorn hairs!"

Hesitantly Rukia picked the wand up, and a feeling of cold not unlike her reiatsu surged through her, causing a light snowfall to fall around her. Smiling she looked at the wand.

"There, that's the wand for you," Olivander grinned.

Stepping back, Rukia turned to Ichigo and Toshiro, "Who's next?"

"How about the young man who _wasn't_ thrown into you?" Olivander suggested.

Toshiro stepped up confidently, eyeing the tape measure as it flew around him, measuring his body.

"Your name?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"…Hmm…Let's try, 16 in., rowan, unicorn hair, all right, Mr. Hitsugaya?"

Toshiro flicked the wand, and Olivander's desk was immediately frozen over. Frowning, Olivander took the wand away, "Too long. Not the right wood at all. Usually I'd say dragon heartstring in too fiery for someone like you…but I wonder…"

"10 in., silver birch, dragon heartstring of an Artic Slenderwing, a rare breed of powerfully magical ice dragons." Olivander announced.

Toshiro took the wand and, much like with Rukia, a small blizzard began to whip around him and he glowed white with light purple tinge.

"Very good!" Olivander said happily. "Now you, the young man who was thrown in Miss Kuchiki?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo said before Olivander could ask his name.

"Alright, Mr. Kurosaki," Olivander said as the tape measure began to measure Ichigo.

"Let's try…11 in., spruce, dragon heartstring."

Ichigo flung Rukia, Tonks and Toshiro into each other.

Olivander eyed the resulting tangle of limbs. "I think it's debatable whether or not you did that on purpose, but either way that wand's not for you."

"13 in., rowan, unicorn hair."

"10 in., oak, phoenix feather."

"14 in., yew, phoenix feather."

"15 in., yew, phoenix feather."

"18 in., birch, dragon heartstring."

After several wands later, Olivander was looking at Ichigo with interest. "Too powerful for unicorn. Too dark for phoenix. Not fierce enough for dragon. Not lively enough for oak or rowan. Yew, fir or spruce would be best for you…maybe coupled with…WAIT!"

Suddenly, Olivander disappeared into the back of the shop, and when he came back, he announced almost reverently, "15 in., juniper, phoenix feather and dragon heartstring of the Hebridean Black. A dark dragon is said to bring bad luck, but in this wand that is counter-balanced by the virtue of the phoenix. It is one of the rare wands that strays from the normal procedure of making a wand. Sometimes, like with Miss Kuchiki's wand, there will be dual cores, or a rather powerful and rare one like Mr. Hitsugaya's, but very rare do we wandmakers mix two cores together. This wand has been masterless for decades. If it'll accept you, I'll give it to you for free, seeing as I doubt very many other people would be able to make use of this wand."

Ichigo took the wand carefully, and black, red, white and blue sparks shot out of the wand, bursting into little fireworks.

"It has accepted you as its master," Olivander said, wide-eyed.

Shifting from foot to foot awkwardly, Ichigo heard Shiro's comments:

**'Stick out wherever you go, don't you, Kuro?'** The Hollow cackled.

**_'I suspect we got an unusual wand because of your reiatsu intermingling with our own,'_** Zangetsu said.

"As promised," Olivander said, "the wand is yours, Mr. Kurosaki, free of charge. In total for Miss Kuchiki's and Mr. Hitsugaya's also unusual wands…that is…29 Galleons."

* * *

After paying the odd old man, Tonks looked thoughtful for a moment before saying.

"Let's go get your trunks and be off!"

* * *

After reacquiring their trunks, and another Side-Along Apparition journey again, they appeared in front of a long line of houses in London.

"Here," Tonks said, handing them a piece of paper, "read this."

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix _

_may be found at_

_number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

* * *

**_Me: _****Good night! *collapses***

**_Nee-san: _****QUICK, SAYO-CHAN, HIDE THE BODY!**

**_Sayo:_**** She's not dead. But she might be when Sandira gets through with her. He looked murderous.**

* * *

_gomen: sorry_


	4. 3 Guilds, Orders and Arrivals

**_Me:_**** Just a warning—unlike in the book, I'm not waiting four days to have the Order get Harry, they'll get him right after the attack, okay? And because it suits my timeline, apparently Hedwig is one _hell_ of a fast flier.**

**_Sayo:_**** Thanks to **_ultima-owner, witchsoul 531, fokker333, killroy225, The Purple Jade, deathbykitsune, herseybarrules, SupaCrazee, Maverick14th, Sypher14, 3Alaska3, Eradona, YellowWomanontheBrink, arandomreviewer, Yui, pucflek, bleepbloop559, Qwerty321, That Punk Rock Chick, reedironbane, lilyrosa143 _**and**_ Mahou001_**. From now on we'll only reply to reviews that ask questions or say something particularly unique, otherwise it'll just be 'Thank you.'**

_fokker333:_ **The current Gotei 13 is:**

**1: Yamamoto and Sasakibe**

**2: Soifon and Omaeda**

**3: Rukia and Izuru **

**4: Unohana and Orihime (Isane was killed in the Winter War *cries*)**

**5: Ichigo, Ogichi and Momo**

**6: Byakuya and Uryu**

**7: Komamura and Tetsuzaemon**

**8: Kyoraku and Nanao**

**9: Renji and Shuhei**

**10: Toshiro and Rangiku**

**11: Kenpachi and Yachiru**

**12: Mayuri and Nemu**

**13: Ukitake and Chad**

**As for Gin, he's in Hueco Mundo "babysitting" the Espada.**

_Sypher14:_**Maybe they appear like [] because you're using a 3DS. They're supposed to be o's with little lines over them.**

_3Alaska3:_**Shiro was speaking like Gin because he has an accent when he's materialized.**** And Toshiro will become more important later on, don't worry.**

_YellowWomanontheBrink:_**Yes, they're at the order. And as for the question about magic creatures sensing Shinigami: some will, some won't. Like the house-elves won't, but the thestrals will.**

_Qwerty321:_**The conversations in Ichigo's inner world _do_ have _some_ relevance, even if not immediately obvious.**

* * *

Normal Text

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

_Writing inside the story_

**'Shiro inside Ichigo's mind'**

**_'zanpakut_****_ō_****_'_**

**"Foreign Dialogue/Japanese"**

* * *

**3. Guilds, Orders and Arrivals**

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix_

_may be found at_

_number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London_

"There's no number twelve," Rukia protested, eyeing the numbers eleven and thirteen balefully.

"Concentrate on what you just read," Toshiro advised, remembering a mention of a Fidelius Charm in _Advanced Auror Worthy Spells_, which he'd read to further his background knowledge of the wizarding world. Looking at Tonks he said, "It's a Fidelius Charm, right?"

Tonks beamed, then turning to Ichigo, "Your students sure are bright, aren't they?"

"Oh, yes. Can't keep their noses away from magical theory. Really aren't the best at practical magic, though," Ichigo replied, smirking in his "student's" general direction.

"Oh, that's alright," Tonks said cheerfully, "they'll catch on quickly!"

Turning back to the houses, Ichigo was vaguely surprised to see that a house had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Further inspection proved it to be number twelve itself.

**'Huh. Wonder where that came from?'** Shiro muttered.

**_'The Fidelius Charm, like Captain Hitsugaya said. Didn't you read Advanced Auror Worthy Spells?'_** Zangetsu said accusatorily.

**'Hang on: let me try to remember things I actually care about,'** Shiro snorted.

_'Quiet, you two,'_ Ichigo hissed, stepping up to the front steps of number twelve behind Tonks.

"Here we go," she muttered as she opened up the door.

* * *

When they walked into Grimmauld Place, Ichigo decided that it was one of creepiest places he'd ever been to, and he'd been to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab, Las Noches, Hueco Mundo and Szayel Aporro Grantz's old lab.

It was dark and further up ahead, the heads of some poor species lined the wall. Old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered to life, casting the hall in a flickering light, revealing a threadbare carpet along the gloomy hallway, an old chandelier covered in cobwebs and damaged portraits hanging crookedly on the wall space not inhabited by severed heads.

Ichigo snapped back to attention, and he felt Toshiro and Rukia stiffen behind him, as soft footsteps approached. A short, well-rounded woman with fiery ginger hair to rival Ichigo's stepped into view.

"Hello, Tonks! Are these our Japanese guests?" She exclaimed softly.

"That's them, Molly. Tall one with orange hair's the new DADA professor, too."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said, inclining his head slightly.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." The woman took in Toshiro's thin, pale appearance.

"And you two are fifth years?" the woman asked.

Toshiro and Rukia nodded.

The woman bit her lip. Turning to Ichigo, "My name is Molly Weasley. Would you mind informing the Order that I'll be with your students in the drawing room trying to get the to eat? There's a meeting going on in the kitchen. Tonks?"

"I'm on it, Molly," Tonks said, grabbing Ichigo's hand and pulling him forward.

Before Ichigo was pushed into what was evidentially the kitchen, he heard Mrs. Weasley and Toshiro begin to talk. Mrs. Weasley saying, "Come on, dears. We best get you fed up now. Have you been eating properly? You're as pale as a ghost!"

"Mrs. Weasley, that won't be necessary," Toshiro replied as Ichigo stepped through the door.

**'I wonder if who'll crack first, Shiro-ryuu or Molly, do you think?'** Shiro mused.

_'For the sake of our cover story, probably Toshiro,'_ Ichigo said.

**'Too bad we won't be there to see it,'** Shiro laughed as they were pushed through a doorway.

* * *

"—the negotiations, Bill?"

"Not well, they're feeling pretty anti-wizard at the moment. And they're not the only ones either. The goblins, for example—" an orange-haired boy, apparently 'Bill' broke off.

"Who're you?" It was not Bill who said those words to Ichigo, instead it was mangled man with thinning grey hair, and mismatched eyes: one brown, one electric blue. The electric blue one was whizzing around independently of the other, and was quite nauseating to watch, really.

"Don't be so rude, Mad-Eye," Tonks admonished, "this is Ichigo Kurosaki, the ambassador for the Guild of the Moon and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Dumbledore told us to expect him, remember?"

"How do you know this man is not an imposter?" Mad-Eye growled.

"The Guild of the Moon is extremely secret, which is why _we_ contacted _you_," Ichigo said, "very few outsiders knew of our existence, and those outsiders chose to join our guild. Now the Order of the Phoenix are the only outsiders we've revealed ourselves to."

"What is your objective, then?" A man with an odd, wild reiatsu coming off him asked.

"The Guild of the Moon was originally formed to protect innocent people and creatures from Dark Forces," Ichigo said, deciding to use a fairly simple lie, "A hundred years ago, a man named Sosuke Aizen betrayed the Guild and was plotting to overthrow the what was once the government of wizarding Japan. Nowadays nothing nearly as exciting has happened really, with the occasional crisis. All in all, really we just want to protect people: Muggles, wizards, magic creatures, it doesn't really matter who they are. Anyway, I don't believe you've introduced yourselves."

Many at the table flushed as they realized how rude it had been to begin interrogating Ichigo before even telling him their names.

"Alastor Moody. People call me Mad-Eye." Mad-Eye said.

"Remus Lupin." The man with the wild reiatsu.

"Sirius Black." The man with the long, shaggy black hair.

"Bill Weasley." Bill introduced.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt." A dark-skinned man said in a deep voice.

"And of course not all of us are here," Sirius said, "for example, Snivellus isn't here. Neither is Arthur. Neither is Dung, though that's because he's guarding Harry—" No sooner had he uttered these words when there was a loud _crack!_ and a ginger-haired man appeared out of nowhere.

"Harry!" The man burst out, "Dementors! Dementors attacked Harry!"

"WHAT?!" Several people yelled at once.

"Is he alright, Arthur?" Sirius asked hurriedly.

"He's fine, but he used a Patronus Charm to repel the Dementors," Arthur replied quickly.

"It's alright then, right? Surely the Ministry of Magic can make an exception for self-defense right?" Tonks said, relieved.

"As far as the Ministry is concerned," Arthur said darkly, "there _were_ no Dementors, and Harry used a Patronus to frighten his cousin."

"That's stupid," Ichigo muttered.

Arthur glanced at him questioningly.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, the new DADA professor," Lupin introduced before Arthur could ask.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Arthur said, "We should send Harry some reassurance, tell him that we know what's happened. Right now, Dumbledore's gone to appeal to the Ministry."

Sirius nodded and began to write a note, Ichigo looked over his shoulder,

_Arthur's just told us what's happened._

_Don't leave the house again, whatever you do._

He whistled and an owl flew over to him. "Take this to Harry." The owl grabbed the note and flew out of a window.

* * *

The Order was too busy rushing about to notice, but the noise they'd made had drawn an audience. Several ginger-haired children and a girl with bushy brown hair stood in the door, "What's going on?" A ginger-haired girl called out.

Quickly closing the distance, Ichigo said, "Harry Potter was attacked by Dementors."

The children's eyes widened, "Harry?! Is he all right?"

"He's fine, but he's in trouble with the Ministry for using a Patronus," said Bill as he approached from behind Ichigo.

The children suddenly seemed to realize they didn't know Ichigo. "Umm…"

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said.

"Hermione Granger, pleasure," said Bushy-hair.

"Ron Weasley," said one of the orange-headed boys.

"Ginny Weasley, nice to meet you," said ginger-haired girl.

"Fred and George Weasley," twin gingers said simultaneously.

"Which one's Fred and which one's George?" Ichigo asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well _he's_ certainly not Fred, unless, of course, I'm George. I don't know, Gred, am I Fred or George today?"

"Well, Forge," 'Gred' said, "I was Fred yesterday, or were you George?"

"So you're Fred and you're George?" Ichigo interrupted, pointing to each twin in turn.

"Maybe, maybe not," they shrugged. But even so, Ichigo took the time to remember whose reiatsu was whose. It would be great to mess with them later.

"I'll remember that," Ichigo promised.

"What's all this racket?" Mrs. Weasley asked, bursting in the kitchen.

"Harry was attacked by Dementors," Ichigo said once again.

"Oh, Ichigo, dear, can you go check up on Toshiro and Rukia? I don't want to leave them alone but I should talk with Arthur." Noticing the children for the first time, she added, "_You_ five can join him."

"But Mrs. Weasley, we want to know what's going to happen to Harry," Hermione protested.

"And you'll be told, but right now this is Order business!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, "Sorry, Ichigo, but they'll need supervision or they'll try to eavesdrop."

"It's perfectly fine," Ichigo said, inclining his head slightly as a gesture of goodwill. Turning to the five children, he said, "You'd better follow me."

* * *

Ichigo walked into the room that Rukia and Toshiro were in with the five kids behind him.

**"Who're the kids?"** Rukia said from her perch on a windowsill.

**"Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, or that's how they introduced themselves anyway,"** Ichigo said, pointing to each in turn.

**"What was all that shouting about?" **Toshiro asked from a squashy armchair he'd settled in.

**"Some kid named Harry Potter was attacked by Dementors,"** Ichigo said in worried voice, **"I didn't give those soul-eating monsters much thought until I heard about this attack. They're rather like Hollows, no?"**

**"I'll send Urahara a Hell Butterfly later,"** Rukia promised.

"I think we should start talking in English, they look a little lost," Toshiro suggested, waving a hand at the Weasleys and Hermione, who indeed looked confused.

"Oh yes," Ichigo said sheepishly, "Forgot you five were there. Rukia, you see about that Jigokuchō later, alright?"

"Don't worry, _Professor_," Rukia muttered, "I won't forget to send it to Urahara."

"Good," Ichigo turned to the five wizards. "This is Rukia Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya. They'll be transferring to Hogwarts as fifth years this year. Toshiro's the one with white hair," he added as an afterthought.

"Fifth years?" Ron said doubtfully.

"Want to make something of it, Weasley?" Rukia snapped.

Ron recoiled. "Don't need to jump at my throat…hey, how come you know my name?"

"Professor Kurosaki introduced you when we were talking in Japanese, or can you not recognize your own names, even in a foreign conversation?" Toshiro said calmly, leaning back his eyes closed.

"Professor?" Hermione asked, looking up at Ichigo with wide eyes.

"Forgot to mention: I'm your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Ichigo said in an indifferent tone. He grinned slightly at their shocked expressions.

**'You did that on purpose, didn't you, Kuro?'** Shiro cackled.

_'Their expressions were hilarious,'_ Ichigo replied gleefully.

**_'Your Hollow's rubbed off on you, Ichigo,'_** Zangetsu said disapprovingly.

**'Nah, I'd do something much worse,'** Shiro scoffed.

Molly walked in the room just then, "Ichigo, dear, they want you in the kitchen."

"Looks like I have to go…" Ichigo said, "Play nice you two!" He called to ice-wielding Shinigami.

**"I assume by 'play nice' you mean don't freeze anything or anyone?"** Rukia called back, but Ichigo didn't reply, he just walked out the door as a snowy white owl flew past him with two scraps of parchment in its talons.

* * *

"You wanted me?" Ichigo asked, walking through the kitchen door.

Sirius nodded in affirmation, "We're sending a group of wizards to collect Harry. It seems he's gotten impatient. Look at this." He handed Ichigo a scrap of parchment that read:

_I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts._

_I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here._

"And you want me to go to?" Ichigo said, and when Sirius nodded, he asked, "Why would you risk sending someone you don't know?"

"Call it a gesture of good faith," Mad-Eye growled, "I don't particularly agree with their reasoning, but I was outvoted."

Ichigo snorted, "I know what you mean. I've been outvoted plenty of times, even when I know I'm right. It's as annoying as hell."

"So besides you," Sirius continued, ignoring the interruption, "Remus, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Tonks, are going. We _were_ going to ask Elphias, Diggle, Emmeline, Podmore and Hestia to come, but there's no way to contact them quickly. So we thought we'd ask you instead." He looked up to find Ichigo counting on his fingers.

"So I'm replacing…five people?" He said, looking up at Sirius, who nodded. "Alright, I'll go." Looking around he asked, "Where are Kingsley and Tonks?"

"They went ahead to lure Harry's family away."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "Won't they be worried to find Harry missing?"

"If what Harry says is true, they'll probably be elated." Lupin said dryly.

Ichigo frowned, finding it hard to believe that any family would think so little of one of their own.

"Well?" Mad-Eye rumbled. "Are we going to wait until the Dementors come back or are we going to collect Potter? Or are you going to continue to inform Kurosaki about Potter's relationship with his family?"

"Fine, let's go," said Ichigo irritably.

Nodding as if satisfied, Mad-Eye led the way out the door.

"Do you have a broom, Ichigo?" Lupin asked. "Or do you need to borrow one?"

"Ah, gomen," Ichigo said, wincing, "I don't have a broom."

"Don't worry. Molly said you could use Arthur's," Lupin said, shoving a battered broomstick in Ichigo's hands.

* * *

If Ichigo hadn't been—apparently—naturally brilliant at riding a broomstick, things would have been quite awkward for the Order to have to wonder why their new DADA professor didn't know how to ride a broom. As it was, Ichigo had to wait for the others to mount their brooms, and then quickly repeat their actions.

"So, Kurosaki, how many times have you ridden a broom before?" Mad-Eye shouted, evidently he'd noticed Ichigo's slight awkwardness in riding the broom.

"Haven't for years," Ichigo lied, "and didn't ride brooms much before then, either."

Mad-Eye looked distrustful for a moment, rolling his blue eye around to stare Ichigo, studying him as if he could see through Ichigo's lie and wanted to know the truth, which was probably true.

"We're coming up on Little Whinging!" Lupin called back from his position at the head of their small formation.

Mad-Eye's searching gaze drifted away from Ichigo, who sighed in relief before turning his attention towards the small town they were approaching.

* * *

"Over here!" Ichigo, Lupin and Mad-Eye whipped around to see Kingsley and an unfamiliar woman running towards. A moment later Ichigo recognized the woman's reiatsu to be Tonks'. Mere seconds after Ichigo's revelation, Tonks morphed back into the form that the trio was more familiar with.

"Sorry about that," she muttered, and in a louder voice said, "Had to use that form to fake being a saleswoman to lure the Dursleys to a 'Greenest Lawn' competition. They left right away. Kind of funny, actually."

**_'The Dursleys?'_** Zangetsu asked.

"Who are the Dursleys?" Ichigo asked, frowning, repeating Zangetsu's question.

"Harry's aunt and uncle. He went to stay with them when You-Know-Who killed his parents." Kingsley answered, his gaze becoming questioning.

"I'm from Japan, only the general idea of what happens in England makes it overseas, you know." Ichigo replied evenly.

Luckily, they nodded, taking it as a valid answer.

"Well, let's not keep Harry waiting," Lupin suggested.

* * *

**-Side POV: 3PL: Harry Potter-**

Harry was lying on his bed, his exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered in bedroom. Harry looked at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and had an expression of smug victory on his face. However, his hair was slightly messy and he was breathing heavier than normal, showing that he'd gotten ready in a hurry.

"We're going out," he said.

"Sorry?"

"We—that is to say, your aunt, Dudley and I—are going out."

"Fine," Harry replied, looking away.

"You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away."

"Okay."

"You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions."

"Okay."

"You are not to steal from the fridge."

"Okay."

"I am going to lock your door."

"You do that," Harry said, rolling over.

He felt Uncle Vernon's suspicious gaze burning into the back of his head, but he ignored it. He heard the door close and the key turn in the lock.

A few minutes later the slamming of car doors and then the engine of a car was heard, and Harry got up to the window to see the Dursleys' van pull out of the drive and go down the street.

Sighing, he jumped back into bed.

* * *

_Crash!_

Harry sat up bolt upright from his nap. There was silence for a few seconds, and then voices.

_Burglars,_ Harry thought, sliding off his bed silently. Then it occurred to him that they weren't very clever burglars, if they were in fact, burglars, because they were not troubling to keep their voices down at all.

He snatched his wand from his bedside table, and stood facing the door, listening very hard for the voices. Next moment, he jumped back as his lock gave a loud _click!_ and the door swung open.

He stood motionless, staring at the open door with apprehension before cautiously stepping outside. Glancing around, he quietly made his way down the stairs.

There were people standing the shadowy hall at the bottom of the stairs, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the glass door. There were only five of them, as far as he could see, but they were all looking up at him.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you poke someone's eye out," said a low, growling voice.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I don't know so much about 'Professor,'" grunted the voice, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here; we want to see you properly."

Harry hesitated. What if it was another Death Eater disguised using a Polyjuice Potion?

"It's all right, Harry," another familiar voice called, "We've come to take you away."

"P-Professor Lupin? Is that you?"

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" A third, cheerful, unfamiliar female voice asked. _"Lumos."_

A wand tip flared to life, illuminating the hall with magical light. Harry blinked and studied the people who'd come to rescue him.

Remus Lupin stood nearest to him. He looked tired and ill, though still quite young. Not to mention the robes he was wearing were patched up and extremely shabby. Nevertheless, he smiled happily up at Harry, who returned the favor.

"Ooooh, he looks just like he thought I would," said the only witch there. She appeared to be the youngest there, save for an orange-haired man who couldn't be more than nineteen at best. She had a pale, heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes and short spiky hair that was a bright violet. "Wotcher, Harry!"

"I see what you mean, Remus," a bald, dark-skinned wizard rumbled, "He looks exactly like James." The man in question had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear.

"Except for the eyes," Moody interrupted, "he has Lily's eyes."

Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled gray air and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously up at Harry through mismatched eyes.

"Are you sure it's him, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"

"Harry, what form does your Patronus take?" Lupin asked.

"A stag," Harry replied.

"That's him, Mad-Eye," Lupin confirmed.

Harry walked the remaining stairs, putting his wand in back pocket of his pants.

"Don't put your wand there, boy!" Moody roared. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost a buttocks you know!"

"Who do you know that's lost a buttocks, Mad-Eye?" the orange-haired man spoke for the first time. Harry turned to study him. He was young, but he possessed an aura of confidence—almost cockiness, really. He had such bright orange hair it couldn't be anything _but_ natural. Amber eyes gazed at Harry steadily, forcing him to look away.

"Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" Mad-Eye growled.

"How are you?" Lupin asked Harry, looking at him closely, as if looking for cracks on precious china.

"F-fine," Harry stuttered.

"I'm—you're really lucky the Dursleys are out…"

"Lucky, ha!" The woman snorted. "It was me that lured them out of the way. Dressed up as a representative from the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're headed off to the prize-giving right now, or at least they think they are."

"We're leaving, aren't we? Soon?" Harry said, fearing Uncle Vernon's wrath when he learned of the woman's deception.

"Almost at once," said Lupin, "we're just waiting to make sure the coast is clear."

"Where are we going? The Burrow?"

"Not the Burrow, no," Lupin replied, "Too risky. We've set up headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while…"

Lupin motioned around the group of wizards. Pointing to Mad-Eye he said,

"This is Alastor Moody, Harry."

"Yes, I know," Harry said, uncomfortably.

"And this is Nymphadora—"

"_Don't_ call me Nymphadora, Remus," the witch said, shuddering, "It's Tonks."

"—Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only."

"So would you if your mother named you 'Nymphadora,'" Tonks muttered.

"And this is Ichigo Kurosaki," Remus said, gesturing to the tall ginger man, "He'll be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Good luck," Harry muttered under his breath. Ichigo raised his eyebrow, but seemingly no one else heard.

"We've got about fifteen minutes before we have to leave, if everything goes according to schedule," Mad-Eye announced.

Turning to Harry, Lupin said, "You'd better go get packed."

"I'll help," said Tonks brightly, pulling Harry along behind her.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later they were all outside getting ready to take off. Well, most of them. Much to the amusement of everyone but Mad-Eye, Ichigo had chosen to hover while waiting for the signal to take off, sitting side-straddle and kicking his feet almost comically.

Harry grinned, not that anyone could see thanks to a Disillusionment Charm that Mad-Eye had cast on him. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all. The new DADA professor looked like someone who he'd get along well with.

Mad-Eye raised his wand and with a murmured _"Periculum!"_ red sparks shot it the air, along with five broomsticks. Ichigo grabbed his broom, swung his leg over it and shot off, all in one fluid movement.

* * *

After a while of Mad-Eye calling out insane directions _"Through the clouds!"_ or _"Now double back 2.6 miles, turn southeast for 1.9 miles and then head back on course!"_ Tonks got fed up and yelled, "ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE? We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off course we're no going to get there until next week! We're nearly there now!"

"Speaking of which," Lupin shouted, "It's time to begin our descent. Follow Tonks, Harry!"

Harry followed Tonks into a dive, Ichigo right beside him. Ichigo treated Harry to a smirk. Despite the Disillusionment Charm, it was fairly obvious that Ichigo had no problems whatsoever sensing where Harry was.

A few moments later they'd landed.

Quickly, they lifted the Disillusionment Charm on Harry and then handed him the slip of paper that revealing Grimmauld Place.

* * *

**-Main POV: 3PL: Ichigo Kurosaki-**

When Harry and the others walked into Grimmauld Place, Ichigo hung back, glancing towards the primal reiatsu that had just sprung up. It was a weak Hollow, nothing the local Shinigami couldn't handle—in fact he was fairly sure he sensed a Shinigami's reiatsu racing in that direction—but it was his job to get of Hollows.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" Molly's voice called.

Making a decision, Ichigo stepped inside Grimmauld Place and closed the door.

Ichigo saw Mrs. Weasley lead Harry upstairs as the Order members filed back into the kitchen.

"You can go upstairs if you want," Lupin said sympathetically, "you must be exhausted."

"It's been a long day," Ichigo agreed.

"I hope you don't mind sharing with Ron, Harry and Toshiro. We don't have many spare rooms."

"It's fine," Ichigo said, shrugging. Trudging up the stairs he found the room with the three boys' reiatsu leaking from it. Well, Harry's and Ron's were leaking, Toshiro's was just there, after all he had much better reiatsu control than them.

Sighing, he reached out a hand to open the bedroom door.

* * *

**_Me: *_****Yawn* It's 10:54 P.M. now. Goodnight!**

**_Sandira:_**** *asleep* Murder…SSKA…**

**_Me:_**** *sweatdrop* Good thing he's asleep…maybe I'll get him something nice for Christmas…or Hanukkah…or Halloween…or just tomorrow…  
**

* * *

_-ryuu: dragon  
_

_Jigokuchō: Hell Butterfly  
_


	5. 4 Meet the Order of the Phoenix

**_Me:_**** How were you people? Doing well, I hope? M'kay, let's get this started! Oh, and thanks for over a 100 followers! *confetti***

_The Purple Jade:_ Yeah, Umbridge will show her "toady face" soon. Her first appearance will be a Harry's hearing, but it won't be her last…sadly. But how exactly she'll appear is a surprise.

_deathbykitsune:_ The Hogwarts ghosts WILL NOT be able to tell they're Shinigami. The goblins and a few other creatures could/can tell because they listen to their instinct. However wizards, like most humans, don't necessarily listen to their instinct, so while the wizard ghosts may feel uneasiness, they'll probably dismiss it.

_ultima-owner:_ Dementors are Demi-Hollows stuck between Hollowfication and Shinigamification due to the power of the Hōgyoku, which was destroyed by Kisuke Urahara. When Kisuke Urahara destroyed it, as you'll find out, there was a backlash of power, which affected various Demi-Hollows in England, because that was the Fifth Division's—and formerly Aizen's—jurisdiction and Aizen had already messed with those Demi-Hollows. The Hōgyoku's destruction was only the tip of the iceberg.

_Maverick14th: _You really didn't ask a question…I'm just honoring you with a response because of your rather long review. Thanks a lot, Ichigo's backstory is more or less canon, with a few minor incidents in the past hundred years that may or may not be referenced to later. I really didn't want to mess too much with canon, because then it'd be really complicated…and I'd take _forever_ to update (although I've taken forever to update anyway).

_killroy225:_ The reason why he didn't "run on air" is because a) he's in a gigai and b) he doesn't want to blow his cover. But believe me, I was toying with the idea of having him run on reishi (because that's actually what they stand on) anyway.

_Whitetree-Nimloth:_ Don't question my unexplained plot-driven reasons. They rarely have logical explanations. The only reason I having Ichigo rooming with the boys is because I thought it'd be fun to torture him!

_pucflek:_ They'll use Kidō, but they'll try to avoid it so that they don't arouse suspicion, so you won't see much of it.

_Suya Noki: _Yeah, Ichigo will teach a lesson on Shinigami. And it won't be pleasant, mark my words. Hilarious, but not pleasant. Once again about Umbridge: it's a surprise.

_Qwerty321:_ Well, I guess I don't _need_ to announce that I'm changing POV, but it makes it easier to identify the POV, because you don't have to guess, I tell you. "You ARE to touch the television…" Oops. I forgot "NOT"….

_Morte Cacciatore:_ IchiRuki, you say? Well, I suck at writing romance (in my opinion, I've never really showed my fail-attempts to many other people) but I've already decided to _try _to include IchiRuki, HitsuKarin and _maybe_ other pairings. "Try" is the key word here.

_arandomreviewer:_ Yes, or ask a question, like you just did.

_kitty-ally-93:_ Now.

_Remzal Von Enili:_ Ichigo's going to school, yes. But remember, it's been a 100 years since Ichigo leaked reiatsu everywhere, and Ichigo, Toshiro and Rukia are also wearing reiatsu-suppressing gigais. He's not going to be leaking reiatsu anytime soon.

_JosephineX:_ What parts don't you understand? I'll try my best to explain them.

_DGtnsl:_ I burst out laughing at "my organization's more secret than yours, don't you start about imposters." As for the rest of it, thank you, I liked writing about the broom-thing, too. And Ron and Harry, reacting to Ichigo in the same room? Well, when they learn 'bout it they're a little distracted (see story below), and by the time they would actually be to think properly about it, they would be used to the concept.

**_Sayo: _****Thanks to: **_The Purple Jade, deathbykitsune, 3Alaska3, ultima-owner, Maverick14th, killroy225, Whitetree-Nimloth, pucflek, BlackWaterMoon, Suya Noki, Qwerty321, SLfangirl15, SupaCrazee, Bladestar123, Hakkuchi, Morte Cacciatore, arandomreviewer_, _Yui, Furionknight,kitty-ally-93, Remzal Von Enili, Fallen Angel Dark Mousy, JosephineX _**and**_ DGtnsl._

**_Sandira:_**** SSKA owns nothing but her OCs, or else I wouldn't be so keen to kill her.**

* * *

**4. Meet the Order of the Phoenix**

As Ichigo moved towards the door, the door slammed open and Toshiro rushed out faster than if there was a group of Arrancar on his tail. Ichigo yawned tiredly, and pushed open the door to his/the boys' room.

_'I wonder what Toshiro was running from?'_

Almost as if on cue, Harry starting screaming at the top of his lungs. "SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT—WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"

Ichigo winced. Toshiro was nowhere to be found—he'd probably sensed the rising tension at left to talk with Rukia. A part of Ichigo was slightly uneasy about that, not that he knew why.

"Harry," he said quietly.

"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"

_"Harry."_

"Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did—" Hermione began.

"CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT _DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR_—"

"Harry!"

"—FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON—"

Ichigo was getting a serious migraine now. _"Harry!"_

"—I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER—"

_"HARRY! POTTER!"_

The three young wizards whipped around to see the orange-haired Shinigami massaging his temples.

"What?" Harry snarled.

"Is yelling at your nakama anyway to greet them after a month?" Ichigo said, glaring slightly at Harry.

"…Nakama?" Ron repeated.

"Japanese word for 'really close friends'." Hermione piped up, brightening slightly at the chance to share her knowledge.

"What would you care? You don't know what I've been through!"

"…You're right. But from what I've gathered: your parents were murdered right before your eyes, you have an extremely deadly enemy in Voldemort, but no one believes you—" He noticed their stares. "What? I'm right, aren't I?"

"You said his name," Ron breathed.

"Voldemort? Of course. Fear of the name is just fear of the object. I'm not scared of Voldemort, why should I be afraid of his name?" Ichigo saw them gasp. "What now?" He asked, annoyed.

"You're not afraid of Voldemort, the most powerful Dark wizard in existence?"

"No, I'm not. I've seen far worse things than anything Voldemort or any mortal man could ever conjure up." The last part he said to himself, mostly.

"Like what?"

"Doesn't matter. He—it's gone now. What's done is done." Ichigo said, stiffening. He really disliked talking about Aizen, even after all these years.

"But—" Harry seemed to have forgotten he was angry with his two friends, instead now he was curious.

"Molly told me I'd be sleeping in this room with Harry, Ron and Toshiro," Ichigo interrupted, "do I sleep on the floor or which of the beds in here to I get?" There were four beds. Ron and Toshiro had already claimed one each, and Harry was standing near a third one. When the three wizards just blinked at him, he sighed and flopped down on the bed farthest from the door and closest to one of the windows.

"Guess this one's mine then. I'll just sleep off my jetlag. Try not to yell too much. Oyasuminasai."

And with that, Ichigo was ready to fall asleep.

_CRACK!_

_"Chikushou!"_ Ichigo hissed, glaring at the two newly arrived twins, who promptly ignored him.

"Stop _doing _that!" Hermione said.

**'King,'** Shiro whined, **'Go to sleep! I refuse to crash before you!'** Ichigo winced. If Shiro was calling him _"King,"_ he wasn't the only one who was extremely drop-dead tired through a combination of jetlag and getting used to their reiatsu-suppressing gigai.

"Hello, Harry," the one Ichigo had identified (by his reiatsu) as George said, "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," Fred said.

**'Please don't,'** Shiro said. Ichigo couldn't help but agree.

"—there might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you." Fred finished.

"You two passed your Apparation tests, then?"

"With distinction," Fred confirmed.

"It would have taken you thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs," Ron complained.

"Time is Galleons, little brother. Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extend—" He broke off as he saw Ichigo.

"You're the new DADA teacher, right?"

"Go on with your plotting," Ichigo muttered, rolling over to face the wall and putting a pillow over his head, "just let me sleep. Chikushou…where'd Toshiro even go? Leave it to him and Rukia…" He trailed off. "Oyasuminasai, and don't wake me up again."

Before he actually sunk into his inner world, he heard George say, "Brilliant. Our new professor doesn't care what sort of scheming we do…this is _wonderful_, Fred…"

Oops. Had he just encouraged them?

"Now about those Extendable Ears…" Fred continued.

* * *

**-3PO-**

As the wizards let Ichigo fall asleep, the twins explained to Harry the answers to all his questions fairly easily, and during their conversation—which had gotten louder once they realized that a stampede wouldn't wake Ichigo—Ginny had joined them. Apparently she'd been throwing Dung Bombs at the kitchen door. Then Harry asked about Percy's job at the Ministry.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Percy's name in front of Mum and Dad," Ron said in a tense voice.

"Why not?"

"Because every time Percy's name is mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum start crying," Fred said.

"It's been awful," Ginny said.

"Sounds like it." The six of them jumped at the hoarse voice. They shot a glance towards Ichigo, who was staring a them with one eye. There was something _wrong_ about him though, and they soon realized what they thought it was. His eyes weren't warm amber anymore, but golden and seemed to be almost glowing, like a cat's or a lizard's eyes.

Unbeknown to them, Shiro had recovered faster than Ichigo, and had taken over his body while Ichigo rested…just in case.

"Oh, no, continue your conversation, I'll just lie here," Shiro-Ichigo said, closing his eyes and reclining. It was a good thing he only had his accent when he was materialized in his own physical form, or else they might wonder why Ichigo suddenly had an weird accent.

"What's happened?" Harry asked uncertainly, turning back to the Weasleys and Hermione.

"Percy and Dad had a row," said Fred. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts…"

"It was the first week back after the term ended," said Ron, "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"You're kidding?"

"Yeah, we were all surprised," said George, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, and there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain…"

"So how come they promoted him?"

By now Shiro-Ichigo had cracked open one eye and was paying close attention to the conversation.

"That's exactly what we wondered," said Ron, "He came home really pleased with himself—even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that—and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts—Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't," Fred said grimly.

"Why not?"

"Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore," said George.

"Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred, "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," George said bitterly.

"Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession—"

"So your father thinks this Fudge person is trying to spy on Dumbledore through…Percy?" Shiro-Ichigo summed up in a bored tone.

"Essentially," Ginny confirmed.

"Bet Percy loved that," Harry said dully.

Ron laughed hollowly.

"He went _berserk._ He said—well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been—you know—not had a lot of money, I mean—"

_"What?!"_ Harry said in disbelief, as Ginny hissed in anger.

"I know. And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he—Percy—knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

"Sounds like the pink flower-wielding jerk's demented logic," Shiro-Ichigo commented under his breath.

"Mum's been in a right state," said Ron, "you know—crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk with Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work—ignores him, I s'pose."

"That's not how you should treat family," Shiro-Ichigo growled, "_especially_ during a war."

Harry nodded in agreement. "But Percy knows about Voldemort, that he's back, right?"

"Well, your name got dragged into the row," Ron muttered, almost embarrassed, "Percy said the only evidence was your word and…I dunno…he didn't think it was good enough."

"Percy take the _Daily Prophet_ seriously," said Hermione tartly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Harry, haven't you been reading the _Daily Prophet_?" Hermione asked, a nervous edge to her voice.

"Yeah, I have," Harry replied.

"Have you been reading it…thoroughly?"

"Not cover to cover to," Harry said defensively, "If they were going to report anything about Voldemort" —here the wizards flinched and Shiro-Ichigo's wandering attention focused on the conversation again—"it would be headline news, wouldn't it!"

"Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they mentioned you a couple of times a week…"

"But I'd have seen—"

"Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't," Hermione said quickly, "they slip you in: like a standing joke. It's quite nasty, actually. They're just building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing anymore, is she?"

"No, not that she has a choice," Hermione said smugly.

Shiro-Ichigo blinked. From her tone, Hermione had obviously done something to shut this Rita-person up. Maybe she wasn't such a goody-two-shoes after all.

"But she made enough of a foundation for them to write their comments," Hermione added.

"Which are _what_?" Harry asked.

"Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed.

"Well they're writing about you as if you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a tragic hero or something," Hermione said quickly, "They keep slipping in snide comments about you like if some far-fetched tale appears they say something like 'a tale worthy of Harry Potter' and if anyone has a funny accident or something it's 'let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next.'"

"I don't want to worship—" Harry began angrily.

"Yeah, you don't seem like a pseudo-god type," Shiro-Ichigo yawned. "You're nothing like Aizen ever was."

"Aizen?" The twins chorused.

"Forget I ever said that name," Shiro-Ichigo hissed, stiffening, "or if you can't forget, ask me a different day. My memories of Aizen aren't full of joy or good feelings."

The wizards eyed him, but remained silent. Everyone remained silent for next few minutes. Even Harry, who was still fuming inside, kept silent.

Then Shiro-Ichigo's head snapped up, "Your mother is coming up the stairs, Weasleys."

Fred's and George's eyes widened. "Damn!"

There was a _crack!_ and they disappeared again.

Mrs. Weasley was there a second later. "Dinner!"

When Shiro-Ichigo made to get up from his comfortable position, Mrs. Weasley shook her head.

"No, don't worry, Ichigo. Get some rest now and if you're hungry later, come to me. Rukia is asleep in her room and Toshiro said his jetlag wasn't altogether terrible, he said he'd be at dinner."

Hesitating, Shiro-Ichigo flopped back down on the bed, "Alright. I'll get something to eat later."

* * *

**-3PL: Toshiro Hitsugaya-**

Toshiro kept glancing uneasily at the kitchen door. Wasn't Ichigo coming down? Rukia had been asleep when he'd talked to Mrs. Weasley in the library, but Ichigo's reiatsu had still been awake, and so had Ogichi's.

Suddenly, there was screaming from the hall. Toshiro was on his feet and running towards the door before he realized he didn't know that voice. And it didn't sound fearful or in pain. It sounded angry.

_"FILTH! SCUM! BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND VILENESS! HALF-BREEDS, MUTANTS, FREAKS, COMMONERS, CREATURES 0F THE FOULEST LEGENDS, BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS—"_

Half-breeds? Freaks? Creatures of the foulest legends? Who was audacious enough to insult a Shinigami, especially when they obviously realized that they were talking to a Shinigami. Not to mention that Ichigo, Ogichi and the other Vizards wouldn't be too happy with that 'half-breeds' remark.

He dashed out into the hall—to be confronted by an ugly portrait of a woman, screaming itself hoarse.

**"WHAT THE HELL?! A moving portrait, and one that's screaming its lungs out at that…"** Toshiro exclaimed in Japanese.

The other wizards seemed to be trying to close the velvet curtains concealing the portrait, so Toshiro aided them, yanking on the curtain. But in a gigai his strength was limited to his appearance, and he couldn't move it an inch.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, SHUT UP!" A man with long black hair came out of the kitchen door, behind Toshiro. Toshiro had noticed him, but had for the most part had ignored him.

_"YOOOOU! BLOOD TRAITOR, ABOMINATION, SHAME OF MY FLESH!"_

"I said. Shut. UP!" Roared the man. With his aid, Toshiro and the man that he'd been introduced to, Lupin, closed the curtains.

The woman's voice fell quiet immediately, and the man turned around.

"Hello, Harry," he said to the black-haired boy with green eyes that Toshiro had rushed past, "I see you've me my mother."

"Your—?"

"My dear old mum, yeah," said the man. "We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's go into kitchen, quick, before they all wake up again."

"A Permanent Sticking Charm?" Toshiro asked, interrupting.

"Yes. And you are?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, fifth year transfer student," Toshiro replied.

"Sirius Black. Harry's godfather." He said, gesturing to the boy.

"About that Sticking Charm," Toshiro said, "Kurosaki, that is, _Professor _Kurosaki, taught Rukia and I a spell that could get it down, or at least destroy it. _Haien_, that means 'Abolishing Flames' in your language."

"Haien? I'll have to take you up on that. But for now let's go eat. There's nothing quite like Molly's cooking."

* * *

When Toshiro, Sirius and Harry entered the room, Mr. Weasley and Bill were quietly talking in a corner. Toshiro frowned at the graphs and diagrams littering the makeshift table in front of them. It was dark in that corner, but Shinigami had better senses than humans.

He could just make out the plan of a building, along with little _x_'s, _m_'s, _d_'s and an _o_, which must represent something. From their positioning, it looked like the _x_'s were guarding the _o_ from the _m_'s and the _d_'s. But he could be wrong. All of his tactical experience as a military commander didn't think so, however. The _o_ was important, somehow.

Mrs. Weasley moved in front of him, frowning at him. Quickly lifting her wand she hissed _"Evanesco!"_ and then snapped at Bill and Mr. Weasley, "This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings."

"Sit down, Harry," said Sirius, "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"

What Toshiro would've mistaken to be a pile of rags, if reiatsu wasn't drifting from it, moved.

"Some'n say m' name? I 'gree with Sirius…" Mundungus's hand raised, as if voting.

"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, "Harry's arrived."

"Eh? Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah…you all right, 'arry?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered.

"Owe you a 'pology," grunted Dung as he grabbed a pipe and blew into it. A puff of foul smoke filled the air.

Toshiro gasped in disgust. Once again…Shinigami had better senses than humans.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, MUNDUNGUS!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called from the other side of the room, "Will you please refrain from smoking that thing in the kitchen, especially when we're about to eat!"

Just then Tonks offered to help.

"No, Tonks, dear that's perfectly alright…"

But Tonks wouldn't take no for an answer. She grabbed a huge stack of plates, and promptly fell down. Toshiro was there quickly enough, but it was Ichigo who caught her. No one had noticed him come down from the bedroom.

"Ichigo, shouldn't you be resting?" Molly asked as Ichigo helped Tonks to her feet and handed her her stack of plates again.

"My jetlag wasn't altogether that bad," Ichigo said, "and it's a good thing I got here when I did." He turned around and looked Toshiro in the eyes.

Golden eyes.

Ogichi Shirosaki.

Oh. That explained his fast recovery: it wasn't Ichigo.

* * *

After they'd all eaten, the children demanded answers from the Order. Mrs. Weasley wasn't giving any ground either. Toshiro watched passively until…

"Fine! You can stay! But you go to bed, Ginny, Toshiro!"

Toshiro bristled, "Wha—"

"Go on, Shiro-chan." Ogichi said, winking at Toshiro.

"Not you to," Toshiro muttered. At least Ichigo called him _'Toshiro,'_ not _'Shiro-chan.'_ Hinamori, Matsumoto and Ukitake were enough, he didn't need Ichigo's Hollow calling him that.

Sending glares to Mrs. Weasley and Ogichi—him especially—Toshiro left.

He climbed the stairs right behind Ginny.

"It's so unfair." She hissed.

"Agreed," he muttered.

"I'm only a year younger than Ron, why can't I—?"

"If Harry hadn't said he'd tell Ron everything, Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have let him stay, if that helps."

"It doesn't."

"You realize Hermione will probably tell you anyway?"

Ginny stopped. "You're right! Thanks, (_what was that Professor Kurosaki called you?)_, Shiro-chan!" Rushing towards her room, Toshiro didn't have time to respond.

_'…I'm going to KILL Ogichi…'_

**_'That's a little harsh for just one 'Shiro-chan,' don't you think so?'_**

_'No.'_

* * *

**-3PL: Ogichi "Shiro" Shirosaki-**

"Okay, Harry," Sirius said, "what do you want to know?"

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news," Harry began, "and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything—"

**'Funny deaths? What's humorous about deaths for a fifteen-year-old? Maybe weird accidents…'** Shiro mused.

"That's because there haven't been any suspicious deaths yet," said Sirius, "not as far as we know, anyway…And we know quite a lot."

"More than he thinks we do, anyway," muttered Lupin.

"How come he's stopped killing people?" Harry asked.

Here, Shiro decided to step in. "Stealth. The Ministry doesn't believe he's back, so why prove them wrong and make his job harder? Why would you hunt for something or someone that's not supposed to exist? I've seen that tactic before, stall for time and gain the element of surprise even after you've gathered all your power."

Sirius nodded, "Yeah. He doesn't want to draw attention to himself at the moment. It would be dangerous to him and his plans. His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed it up. Or rather, you messed it up for him."

"How?" Harry asked, confused.

"You weren't supposed to survive!" Sirius exclaimed. "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But survived to bear witness."

"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got was Dumbledore," said Lupin smugly, "And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once."

"How has that helped?" Harry asked, and Shiro had to agree with him. How could one old professor strike fear into the heart of a man who struck fear into the hearts of many?

"Are you kidding?" Bill said incredulously, "Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of!"

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an after Voldemort returned," Sirius explained.

"So what's the Order been doing?" Harry asked.

"Working hard to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans," Sirius replied.

"What does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"

"Well, firstly, he wants to build up his army again," said Sirius grimly, "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command; witches and wizards, Death Eaters, and a great variety of Dark creatures. He even had a handful of Shinigami on his side."

"Shinigami?!" Shiro exclaimed, "I had no idea! How'd he convince them to join him?"

"We don't know," Moody growled, "but however he did it, he's done it again. I had no idea there were any Shinigami left alive before we received a report that the Dark Lord was seen conversing with two Shinigami—both in white shihakusho. They mentioned names, too. Chiyoko Watanabe and Szayel Aporro Grantz."

**'I don't recognize the first name, but Szayel Aporro was the guy that beat the hell out of Uryu and Renji before Clown Face killed him. He was the Octava Espada. Whatever's going on, one thing's for sure: these new Arrancar are working with Lord Voldemort. But why?'** Shiro thought.

"Do you have any information on what they were talking about?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"The one called Szayel Aporro, who seemed to be in charge, started talking about Shinigami and other things. The one thing our spy managed to overhear clearly is that they're planning to use magic in conjunction to some magic object called Jixyumonwo Hikisaku" —how did he memorize that?—"to turn something called a_ Vizard_ into what they called a _Arrancar_. They seemed to talk a lot about Arrancar, too. I'd have to fish out the old report to share any other information."

Vizards into Arrancar? Shiro felt numb. Damn. Things had just gotten extremely dangerous for Ichigo and himself. As Vizards they were in danger of being targeted as test subjects, and Shiro wasn't all together too eager to be a guinea pig.

Shiro tuned out the rest of the conversation. He felt Kuro wake up and nudge his mind. After the meeting, Shiro went up to his bed and let Ichigo take control, both of them going to sleep.

**'I'll tell you what happened tomorrow. Until then, don't let your guard down.'** Shiro muttered to Ichigo.

* * *

**_Me:_**** Sorry for the late update. I've been busy, you know. Book reports, lab, contests, essays. It's like it was "Give as Much Homework as You Can" Month at my school.**

**_Sayo:_**** Don't expect too many updates until Thanksgiving break.**

* * *

_nakama-really close friends_

_Oyasuminasai-good night_

___Chikushou_-Damn or shit  


_Haien-Abolishing Flames  
_

_Octava-Spanish for "eighth"_

_Espada-Japanese for "ten swords" and Spanish for "sword"_

_Jixyumonwo Hikisaku-"tearing spell" (a magical object that will be revealed later on)_


	6. 5 Ichigo's Encounter! Las Días?

**_Me:_**** 104 reviews, 165 followers, and 103 favorites. When I posted chapter 4 (update 5). You guys are awesome. Review Time! Today we have a special guest: the little former Espada we all know and love: Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!**

**_Nel:_**** Nel's lookin' fer Itsygo! Itsygo? Itsygo?**

**_Ichigo:_**** Nel? What're you doing here?**

**_Nel:_**** ITSYGO! *tackles Ichigo***

**_Me:_**** Never mind. I guess I'm doing reviews by myself.**

**_The Purple Jade:_**_I just wanted to say that this is a hundred years after the Winter War. Aizen is not in charge of the Arrancar anymore. Besides, Las Noches isn't behind the attacks._

**_killroy225:_**_ He was killed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. However, he had a technique so that he could "impregnate" others with himself so that he could reincarnate himself. In this fic, he impregnated one of his Fracción before his death, and so he managed to survive._

**_3Alaska3:_**_ I said "don't expect to many updates". I already had most of this chapter planned out, so I managed to write it in about an hour or so. I'm a fast writer._

**_ultima-owner:_**_ Agreed. That painting will be Kidō'd into oblivion in the next chapter. And yes, Ichigo did unleash a pair of demons that even the strongest Shinigami would cringe to face: Fred and George Weasley._

**_fokker333:_**_ The differences between this and canon will be announced when that particular detail needs to be addressed, or up here in the review-answers. I've already answered a few important things already up here, like about Umbridge, about dementors, about possible pairings, the current commanding officers of the Gotei 13, about magic creatures sensing Shinigami and other things._

**_Maverick14th_****_: _**_ In the old days a few rogue Shinigami joined Voldemort. They were actual Shinigami, not Arrancar. See above review answer to _**killroy225**_ about Szayel's supposed death. Szayel will recognize them, yes, and about the "are the Order going to find out the truth?". I won't answer that…yet._

**_BlackWaterMoon:_**_ 3PL: Third Person Limited 3PO: Third Person Omniscient. 3PL is a third person point of view that focusing on one character. 3PO is a third person point of view that doesn't focus on any one character, rather all of them._

**_Morte Cacciatore:_**_ He'll only be called Ogichi when certain characters address him. For the most part, he'll remain Shiro._

**_witchsoul531:_**_ Don't worry, Ichigo sent Shinji an owl._

**_DGtnsl:_**_ What he meant by "don't let your guard down" is he wants him to be careful. Not necessarily while he's asleep, but in general. As to the other things, I'd love to answer you, but that might spoil some things._

**_Sayo:_**** Thanks to: **_Qwerty321, The Purple Jade, killroy225, 3Alaska3, ultima-owner, fokker333, Yui, SupaCrazee, Maverick14th, vampyregirl256, pucflek, BlackWaterMoon, Morte Cacciatore, Catcrazzed, HevenSentHellBroken, kitty-ally-93, witchsoul531, DGtnsl, One of the Colorless, _**and**_ Furionknight_

**_Sandira:_**** We don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.**

**_Me:_**** Actually, we own all seven books and all eight movies. And we have some bleach in the laundry room. But that's not relevant. **

* * *

**5. Ichigo's Encounter! Las Días Behind the Plot?**

Ichigo stared in disbelief at his Hollow.

**"Are you sure?"** He asked, sitting down on the edge of one the blue skyscrapers of his inner world.

**"Hai, Kuro,"** Shiro confirmed, **"Mad-Eye even mentioned da name Szayel Aporro. How he managed ta memorize all dem names an' terms in da report is beyond me, if I didn't have a good reason ta remember da Espadas' names, I woulda forgotten dem long ago."**

**"You were never good with paperwork,"** Ichigo agreed, standing up.

**"Should we warn da other Vizard?"** Shiro asked, glancing at his Shinigami counterpart.

**"Shinji would appreciate the information," **Ichigo said,** "and if we don't tell them, Hiyori will be angry."**

Shiro winced, clearly remembering the feeling of sandals slamming down on various parts of his body.

**"So you're sure about this…whatever-it's-called-thing turning Vizards into Arrancar?"** Ichigo asked.

**"Yes! It's freakin' weird, how can dey do dat?"**

**"I don't know. ****_Someone_**** can't even remember the name of the object they're using,"** Ichigo replied, glaring at Shiro.

Shiro threw his hands up into the air, **"It was a really long name! Jixyumonwo-something-er-other."**

**"Jixyumonwo? I've never heard of that word before,"** Ichigo muttered.

**"It's a variation of the word ****_'spell'_****,"** Zangetsu's voice called from a few skyscrapers away. The Vizard halves turned to see the old man standing on his pole, staring at the threatening dark clouds on the horizon.

**"Spell? Like wha' d'ese wizards use?" **Shiro questioned.

**"Yes. I can only assume that whatever object they're referring to was infused with powerful wizard magic, not our own Kidō."**

**"I'll put that in my report,"** Ichigo promised. Shiro flinched at the word "report".

**"Yer report, right? Yer not gonna make me—?"**

**"Don't get your hopes up, after all, ****_you_**** overheard the information. You'll need to sign the report at the very least, and I'm going to make you do much more than that."**

**"Chikushou,"** Shiro muttered.

* * *

Ichigo woke himself up from his inner world. He wasn't really tired, despite his lack of actual sleep. He'd had a long rest in his inner world when Shiro had taken over.

Speaking of which…Ichigo glanced at Toshiro's sleeping form, across the room. Neither Rukia nor Toshiro knew what had been discussed. The wizarding children knew, but they wouldn't understand the significance of that report. They'd probably focus on the report about Lord Voldemort's activity.

Ichigo quickly changed and left the room, heading downstairs.

* * *

"Did you sleep well, Ichigo?" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.

"Yes. Is anyone else awake?" Ichigo replied.

"Arthur went to work already, but I'm usually the only one up at this hour." Ichigo heard the hidden question in that statement.

"I normally work long hours," he said in way of an explanation.

"Oh. Well, would you care for breakfast?"

"That would be very nice, thank you," Ichigo replied politely.

**'Huh. I thought she'd be more hostile to us than this.'**

_'Why? Did you do something while I was out?'_ Ichigo asked in alarm.

**'No, just that I supported that the wizarding children be allowed to know what was going on. She was against it completely.'**

Relieved that Shiro had behaved himself last night, Ichigo ate his breakfast in silence. A newspaper on the table caught his eye.

"Mind if I read this?" he asked Mrs. Weasley.

She took once glance at it and frowned. Nodding, she said, "Have it. But why would you want to read the _Daily Prophet_ after all the lies about Harry and Dumbledore they've been spouting?"

"Just because they're lying about one thing doesn't mean they're necessarily lying about other things. Who knows? There could be something useful," Ichigo said, grabbing the paper.

Ichigo flipped open to a random page.

_During a Quidditch match, the Holyhead Harpies'_

_Beaters crashed into a goal post when chasing…_

No, that wasn't useful. What the hell was Quidditch anyway?

_Sirius Black, mass murderer and know ally of_

_You-Know-Who, is currently known to be_

_hidden somewhere in northern Tibet. The_

_Ministry of Magic has sent a group of Aurors_

_to arrest him and we are awaiting news of_

_his capture any day now…._

Sirius in Tibet? That was a _little_ off.

**_SHINIGAMI!_**

Ichigo nearly choked. What the hell—?

_Recent sightings of Shinigami have been_

_reported throughout England. Muggles_

_and wizards alike are being targeted by_

_the Shinigami. Previously thought to be_

_extinct, the Shinigami have recently made_

_a re-appearance. A Shinigami is recognizable_

_by its white, Japanese-style clothing (which was_

_called shihakusho by the Shinigami themselves),_

_a hole somewhere in their body, a white object_

_made of bone somewhere upon them. The object_

_seems to be mostly located around the face, and_

_may take the form of glasses, helmets, skulls, or_

_the was report of a sighting of a Shinigami with a_

_fake horn. The Shinigami also carry a sword (they_

_call a zanpakutō). Lessons about Shinigami will be_

_required to be taught at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft_

_and Wizardry this year now. A pureblood witch, Angelina_

_Prewett, was consulted after an attack, "The Shinigami_

_attacked me and kept going on about Nel, whoever that_

_was. It was saying that it was looking for a Shinigami_

_called Itsygo to warn him about the Abansar, or something_

_like that." When asked to describe the Shinigami that_

_attacked her, Angelina described a young child with blue-green_

_hair, a red mark on her nose and a skull on her head. The_

_Shinigami was wearing a green shihakusho instead of the_

_generic white. This Shinigami has not been sighted again,_

_but if you see it, contact your local Ministry official._

…That sounded a _lot_ like Nel. Scratch that, it _was_ Nel. Ichigo was sure of it.

**'What's Nel doing in England?'** Shiro asked.

_'Apparently she's looking for us,'_ Ichigo replied, _'to warn us about something. Maybe about the new Arrancar?'_

**_'How did she know we were in England?'_** Zangetsu pointed out.

_'She's always been good at finding me, you know that. Besides, Ulquiorra's not stupid. He knows Europe's in my jurisdiction and with all the Arrancar appearing in England, he's probably figured out that I was sent here. He must have mentioned to Nel or even sent her here.'_

Zangetsu was silent, but Shiro snorted in amusement. **_'You actually thought that out, Kuro! What a surprise!'_**

"Is there anything wrong, Ichigo?" Mrs. Weasley's voice snapped him out of his inner conversation.

"Yeah, it's just…apparently some woman named Angelina Prewett was attacked by Shinigami."

"Angelina? She's my cousin," Mrs. Weasley said in a worried voice, moving next to Ichigo, where she could read the _Prophet_ over his shoulder.

"Here, page 17," Ichigo said, handing the paper to Mrs. Weasley.

As Mrs. Weasley flipped through the paper, Ichigo left the room, passing a sleepy Sirius.

_'It's obvious that Las Noches isn't working with these new Arrancar now. Attacking without reason like that isn't the style of the majority of them, and definitely not the style of King Starrk and Queen Harribel. And Grimmjow only fights opponents that are strong enough to put up a fight, unlike these wizards.'_

**_'They could be pretty amusing if you toyed with them first,'_** Zangetsu suggested.

_'Zangetsu, the violent, sociopathic comments are best left to Shiro, it sounds wrong when you say them,'_ Ichigo said, internally shuddering.

Before Shiro could protest, Rukia came down the stairs.

"Ohayou, Ichigo," she said, yawning.

"Ohayou," he replied out of habit, **"Wait! Actually, it ****_isn't_**** a good morning."**

**"What is it?" **Rukia asked.

**"Arrancar,"** Ichigo replied sullenly.

"Nani?" Rukia hissed.

"Not here," he said quickly in English, "in the paper. The Ministry thinks they're Shinigami."

Rukia's eyes narrowed.

"And Shiro—" Ichigo broke off, **"Let's get Toshiro and talk about this elsewhere."**

Rukia nodded, dashing back up the stairs.

* * *

**"I need to put this in my report,"** Toshiro said.

**"Your report? I'm in charge of the mission…not that I'm complaining,"** Ichigo remarked.

**"You just need to sign it, as long as you do that, I can write the report itself,"** Toshiro replied, getting up to leave.

**'So I don't need to do a report? Yes! Take that, Kuro!'**

_'Urusai…or I'll convince Toshiro to let you help with his report.'_

**'Shutting up now.'**

_'Good.'_

**"And Kurosaki—watch your back,"** Toshiro said over his shoulder as he left.

And that left Rukia and Ichigo alone in the library.

"Ichigo," Rukia said quietly.

"Yeah?"

**"You better not let them turn you into an Arrancar! I don't want to have to fight another Arrancar that was**—BAKA!**"** Rukia stopped abruptly, rushing out of the room.

"What?" Ichigo asked stupidly to the air around him.

**_'I'm fairly sure she was referring to Kaien Shiba's transformation into the Arrancar called Aaroniero Arruruerie.'_**

**'Not sure why she called you an idiot though. You aren't doing anything particularly stupid this time. Surprisingly.'**

* * *

The rest of the day was used for cleaning Grimmauld Place. Rukia and Toshiro were forced to help out, not that complained much. They had too much on their minds.

Meanwhile Ichigo was writing letters to various people in Japanese.

_Shinji! URGENT!_

_You probably heard that I've been sent to England because of the increasing Hollow population, right? Well, more than that's going on here. _

_Watch your back. The other Vizards' backs, too. Shiro discovered some information we can't ignore. Toshiro's sending his report to Old Man Yama pretty soon, but right now this is informal letter is the best we could do. _

_The new Arrancar (not the Las Noches Arrancar) are planning to turn Vizards into Arrancar using wizard magic and some magic relic they uncovered. There are only 9 of us in the entire world, 10 if you count Shiro and I as separate Vizards. It should be fairly easy to intercept their attempts, if they try anything._

_Tell Hat 'n' Clogs that Szayel Aporro Grantz has been confirmed alive. Clown Face won't be happy about that. Szayel Aporro and another Arrancar were spotted having a conversation with two of the "Death Eaters." That's the name of the wizards' Dark Lord's servants._

Looking it over, Ichigo was satisfied that he'd told Shinji enough information**—**for now. Ichigo started on his next letter.

_Uryu. Orihime. Chad. Renji. Momo._

The last name Ichigo hesitated in adding, but he knew he'd insult his Lieutenant if he asked his nakama for this favor and not her.

_Contact the Arrancar of Las Noches. If they don't already know, tell them that Nel is somewhere in England, and she isn't being subtle either. I haven't seen her yet, though._

_Ask Ulquiorra if he's heard about the new Arrancar, and who they are._

_Be on your guard, I'm don't have any proof that Las Noches isn't working with them._

_You might also want to inform them that Szayel Aporro Grantz, former Octava Espada, is alive. How, I'm not sure. Clown Face was pretty certain he'd killed him. Uryu, Renji, you were there. Maybe you'd be able to come up with a possibility._

_—Ichigo & Shiro_

By the time he'd sent them using one of the Black family's owls, it was dark outside. Yawning, Ichigo was headed up to the room, when he felt a spike of unfamiliar reiatsu.

He might suck at sensing reiatsu, even after all these years, but this spike of reiatsu seemed deliberately obvious, as if the owner of the reiatsu wanted to be found.

The door on his right was thrown open and Rukia dashed out.

**"Wait. Let me handle it, Rukia,"** Ichigo stopped her.

"**What? I'm perfectly capable of handling an Arrancar, Ichigo!**" Rukia said, outraged.

**"Never said you weren't. But I want to talk to the Arrancar, it feels like one of those new Arrancar."** Ichigo replied.

**"What if he tries to turn you into an Arrancar, Kurosaki?"** Toshiro said as he hurried towards them, obviously intent on warning them.

**"I'll deal with that problem when I have to,"** Ichigo said, shrugging.

**"Don't be reckless, Ichigo!"** Rukia protested.

**"I'll be fine. If worst comes to worst, Shiro and I will separate,"** Ichigo said.

Before Toshiro or Rukia could protest again (or, more likely, freeze him to the floor) Ichigo quickly swallowed his gikongan.

Kon grinned in Ichigo's body, **"It's been a while since you let me mess around in your body."**

**"Listen to me, Kon. If you screw up, I ****_will_**** kill you. Got it? We're undercover here."** Ichigo hissed.

"Don't worry, Strawberry, I won't mess up," Kon replied in fluent English. Ichigo's eye twitched, but that was his only reaction. He quickly dashed past the artificial soul and his Shinigami comrades, and out the window of Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Ichigo stopped just over a small park, shifting his feet slightly on the reishi he was standing on.

Sitting down, he waited for the Arrancar he'd sensed to appear, letting some of his own reiatsu leak out, announcing his presence.

"Hello," a small voice piped up near his ear. Ichigo started and had Zangetsu out of his wrappings and pointed at the source before he even saw who it was.

"Whoa! Easy there, Captain!" The source of the voice said in alarm. It was a small Arrancar boy with black hair and a skull-like mask on his forehead, half covered by his bangs. The boy eyed Zangetsu nervously with wide yellow-gold eyes.

"Don't sneak up on me, then," Ichigo snapped, re-wrapping Zangetsu and putting him over his Captain's haori again.

"Why don't you seal your zanpakutō?" the boy said curiously, "Wouldn't it be easier to carry around?"

"I can't. There are two Captains in the Soul Society who can't seal their zanpakutō, and I'm one of them," Ichigo replied in a slightly annoyed voice. This Arrancar definitely wasn't from Las Noches. If he was, he'd have immediately recognized Ichigo, with the constant cleaver-like Shikai, the vibrant orange hair and the Captain's haori all together.

"What's your name? I'm Felipe Koizumi," the Arrancar boy bubbled happily. He didn't let Ichigo answer before continuing, "Luisenbarn-sama said we aren't allowed to go to the World of the Living without his or one of the Espadas' permission, but Ria-sama's really nice! She said I could come as long as I didn't start any fights or anything! So don't worry I won't fight you! Anyway, when I came through my Garganta I didn't feel any Shinigami around so I let out some of my reiatsu to see if I got a response! And I did! Wasn't expecting a Captain, though…why's there a Captain in England? What's your name again, I didn't quite catch it the first time—"

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, Captain of the Fifth Division," Ichigo interrupted before the boy could rush on.

"Fifth Division? We're supposed to memorize the high-ranking officers of the Seireitei because Luisenbarn-sama wants us to know who our enemies are, but I can only remember a few of them. Like the Captain Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai …or was it Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto…or was it—"

"You had it right the second time," Ichigo interrupted again. Why was this Arrancar being so familiar with him? Going right out and admitting that he was his enemy and then proceeding to babble on about names!

"Ichigo Kurosaki, right? I think I know how I can remember that! After all your hair and your name remind me of strawberries"—Ichigo's eyebrow twitched violently here—"and I tend to be good with the names of people I've met! Anyway, I should be getting back to Las Días, now…"

"Las Días?" Ichigo questioned.

"That's where I live! Where did you think I lived? Las Días is all of the Arrancar. Except for the traitors from the Winter War—they live in Las Noches. But I'm not old enough to have fought in the War. I've only been an Arrancar for five years, can you believe I'm already the 21st Arrancar?"

Felipe seemed to have forgotten that he'd been planning to go back to Hueco Mundo mere moments before.

"So you've never been to Las Noches?" Ichigo asked.

"What? Of course not! Why would I have? The only ones who have been to Las Noches are," Felipe thought about it for a second, "Luisenbarn-sama, Nnoitra-sama, Grantz-sama, Yammy-sama, Vega-sama, Tesra-kun, Calius-san, Parduoc-san, Chuhlhourne, Loly, Menoly, Rudbornn, Patros, Menis, Aldegor, Wernarr and Zodd." Satisfied he'd named all of the Arrancar in question, Felipe asked a question, "Have _you_ been to Las Noches?"

"Hai. During the Winter War Invasion," Ichigo replied absentmindedly, going through Felipe's list of names to see if he recognized one. Nnoitra and Yammy. Quinta and Decimo (Cero) Espada. And Luisenbarn was the last name of Barragan, the Segunda Espada, who Soifon and Hachi had fought. Wasn't Rudbornn the name of the former leaders of the Exequias? And Chuhlhourne was that one Arrancar that Grimmjow was always saying he'd wanted to murder because of his girly attitude.

"Really?" Felipe asked, "I heard that only a few of the Captains went to Hueco Mundo then! And one of them was a Vizard. Do you know them? I'm looking for them," he added.

"A Vizard?" Ichigo asked, stiffening.

"Uh-huh. Ria-sama told me that if I found a Vizard that I was to report immediately to her. Do you know the Vizard captain?"

"Yeah, I know the Vizard," Ichigo said. Shiro was being unusually quiet. "In fact, I know several of the Vizards. Shinji Hirako, Hiyori Sarugaki, Kensei Muguruma, Hachigen Ushoda…" He trailed off, hoping that those names would satisfy the Arrancar's curiosity.

They did.

"Oh. Too bad _you_ weren't the Vizard! I'd love to meet one! I'm not sure why Luisenbarn-sama is interested in the Vizards buts it must be because they're really cool!" Felipe jumped up and opened a Garganta. "Ja ne, Ichi-kun!"

After the Arrancar boy left, Shiro commented for the first time since Ichigo had left his gigai.

**'Yeah, too bad you're weren't the Vizard Captain, Ichi-kun.'**

_'Urusai, Shiro.'_

* * *

**_Me:_ Who else liked Felipe?**

**_Sandira:_ Not me.**

**_Felipe:_ Sandira-sama! You're so cruel!**

**_Sandira:_ Sama? Why?**

**_Me:_ Didn't you know? You're one of the NEW Espada in this story!**

**_Sandira:_ *eye twitch* Just what I needed.**

**_Me:_ No need to thank me!**

**S_ayo:_ To clarify, by NEW Espada, SSKA means that Las D****ías has there own Espada. Barragan's the Primera, Nnoitra's the Segunda, and Szayel's the Tercera. Sandira-kun's the Sexta.**

* * *

_Ohayou: Good morning_

_Baka: Idiot_

_gikongan: soul candy_

_reishi: spirit particles_

_-sama: suffix meaning "lord" or "lady" (lady as in the feminine version of lord, not as in woman)_

_Las Días: Spanish for "The Days" (creative, right?)_

_Garganta: Spanish for "Throat"/Japanese for "Black Cavity"_


	7. 6 Nel Arrives! Extendable Ears Overhear?

**_Me:_**** Thanks to **_fokker333, killroy225, pucflek, Tango Dancer, ultima-owner, Yui, Black Phantom Murder, The Purple Jade, xitle, 3Alaska3, Remzal Von Enili, Mathlete64, Morte Cacciatore, Seabreeze27, Danny Phantom Phanatic, SupaCrazee, Ferdawg, shinigamigurl, Sleepyreader319 _**and**_ DeathRider25_.

_fokker333:_ All will be explained in time. Just be patient with me for now. And yes, I have many things planned *evil laugh*

_killroy225:_ Bleach characters rarely STAY DEAD. But the ones I kill off will stay dead…not that I'm going to go on a killing spree like J.K. Rowling in the seventh Harry Potter book. *nervous laughter*

_pucflek:_ Don't worry, my sister (nee-san) hates Felipe, too. And about the strength of Las Días, well, all in time, all in time.

_Tango Dancer:_ Nel would've caused more ruckus in this chapter if I'd wanted their cover to be blown. But not yet…not yet…

_ultima-owner:_ I'm glad that's what you think of Felipe, considering that's how I wanted to portray him.

_Black Phantom Murder:_ Sorry, nope. Maybe a later chapter? Ulquiorra WILL come at some point. But Grimmjow and Nel first. Grimmy's next. (And yes, Ulquiorra IS like Prussia!)

_The Purple Jade:_ I'm glad you think so, but I'm sort of winging this. I know where I want this to go, but…Various things will pop up just to annoy me, I just know it! Something will go wrong. *breaks off into pessimistic mumbling*

**_Sayo:_** **Uh…let me take over.**

_xitle:_ We know that Las Días is grammatically incorrect, but it's a pun.

_Remzal Von Enili:_ To quote SSKA: All in time.

_Mathlete64:_ "Too bad you're the Vizard captain" we enjoyed writing that, too. And Las Días's leader is Barragan, but it's shown that he _really_ doesn't pay attention to what most of his subordinates do, thus, Felipe. And about them not having a HUGE role, the only reason we put them in is for some conflict that could actually _challenge_ the Shinigami. They'll only appear as needed. And speaking of Shinigami, they shall go to Swineache (Hogwarts) soon! Just after Harry's hearing. Which means they'll be on their way to Hogwarts in the chapter after next!

_Danny Phantom Phanatic: _Glad you like Felipe. He's much better company than Sandira, usually. Until he gets too annoying.

_Ferdawg:_ Sorry if it's confusing! But I'll try to make it less confusing in the next chapter. I only saw your review after I'd written this. Ah, gomen.

_shinigamigurl:_ Umm…okay? And I already have the Houses planned out. I truly believe that the Houses I picked out suit each of their personalities the best. Sorry if their Houses aren't what you wanted.

**_Me:_** **…and when goes wrong, who do my OCs turn to? Me! Why can't they solve things by themselves? I made them smart enough, didn't I? DIDN'T I?! But then again…**

**_Sayo:_**** Um…J.K. Rowling and Tite Kubo own everything but the plot and OCs. Uh, I think we BROKE her. Maybe should do something?**

**_Sandira:_**** Nah.**

**_Felipe:_**** You heard Sandira-sama! LEAVE HER BE!**

* * *

6. Nel Arrives! Extendable Ears Overhear?

When Ichigo arrived back at Grimmauld Place, a fist greeted him. And not just any fist, no, it was a midget-sized fist.

"Dammit, Rukia!" Ichigo swore as he held his now-bloody nose.

"You deserved that, you damn Strawberry. Running off to hunt Arrancar when you know perfectly well that they're targeting _you_." Rukia hissed.

"Hit him again, nee-chan," Kon's voice suggested. Ichigo glared at the mod soul murderously.

Rukia glared at Ichigo once more—successfully hiding the relief she felt—before storming out of the room.

Kon stepped closer to Ichigo, "You're so stupid, you know that, right?"

"What do you mean? You're not going to get on my case to, are you?" Ichigo snapped. Rukia's anger had left _him_ in a bad mood.

"Ha! You really are dense!" Kon laughed, and let Ichigo back into his gigai.

"I wonder what that freak meant," Ichigo thought aloud as he flexed his hand experimentally.

Good, his gigai wasn't malfunctioning. He had suspected it might have been after it had released some of his reiatsu at Gringotts, but that might have just the fact that they'd been transitioning into a reishi-rich area, as he'd felt Toshiro's and Rukia's reiatsu flare slightly then, too.

_"Itsygo!"_ Ichigo winced. He was just imagining that, right? _"Itsygo!"_ Ichigo followed the noise, praying that it was just stress causing him to hear things. In his mind, he heard Shiro laughing quietly.

But no, he was not imagining it. A familiar face was peering in through a window.

"Itsygo!" Nel's voice said happily.

"Be quiet!" Ichigo hissed. "There are other people here, you know."

"Sworry, Itsygo," Nel whispered in a much quieter voice.

"No, it's all right. When did you learn to speak English, anyway?" Ichigo asked.

"Nel listen ta Shiro when Itsygo cames to visit Grimmy-sama," Nel said happily.

"When does Shiro speak English?" Ichigo asked, his eyebrows raised.

**'It's not like I don't know how,'** Shiro muttered.

"Okay, fine," Ichigo said, "now follow me."

Ichigo led her quickly to the abandoned room he'd just left. "Stay here, I'll go get Rukia and Toshiro."

* * *

Toshiro stared at the bundle of green girl that was Hueco Mundo's own version of Yachiru Kusajishi in horror.

"What? How—"

"Don't ask me," Ichigo said. "Now what are we going to do with her?"

"Is it wise to talk about this in English?" Rukia asked.

"We need to get in the habit of talking in English, a lapse into Japanese could be awkward. I'll put up a Kyōmon, though." Toshiro said. **_"Bakudō 66: Kyōmon."_**

An almost translucent shield covered the room, closing around a flesh-colored string that the three Shinigami and small Arrancar had failed to notice.

* * *

-3PO-

"Come over here," Fred called to the other wizarding children. Fred and George Weasley had been setting up their Extendable Ears to test out how sensitive to sound they were, which is why they had lowered it into a quiet, abandoned room.

Imagine their surprise when they heard Ichigo and Rukia arguing in Japanese and then coming back with Toshiro and someone else…speaking in English no less!

"What is it?" Harry asked, coming over with Ron and Ginny. Hermione refused to use the Ears to eavesdrop, so she'd decided not to come.

"Listen to this!" Fred said, holding the ear out so everyone in their small circle could hear.

_"Bakudō Rokujuuroku: Kyōmon." _Toshiro said something in Japanese.

_"Okay, now back to the matter at hand. What should we do about Nel? Did any of you happen to see the _Daily Prophet_ this morning? Apparently they think Nel's a Shinigami and they think she attacked someone_—"

_"Bu' Itsygo! Nel wouldn' hurta fly!"_ A new voice had interrupted Ichigo.

_"I know, Nel, but that doesn't change what the wizards think, does it?"_ Back to Ichigo's voice.

_"She's your responsibility, Ichigo. Didn't she adopt you into her Band of Desert Brothers or whatever they decided to call themselves?"_ Rukia.

_"I'm pretty sure it was something more like 'the Siblings of Hueco Mundo'."_ Ichigo replied.

_"Instead of arguing about unimportant matters, shouldn't we give Nelliel a chance to explain why she has trekked here all the way from Las Noches?"_ Toshiro.

_"Right! Itsygo! The Arrancars are targetin' the Masked Army! Yer in danger!"_

_"I already knew, Nel. Some of the other Espada are still alive, did you know that? Not just Starrk, Harribel, Ulquiorra or Grimmjow."_

_"Uh-huh! Some of our Números were killed by da Arrancar o' Las Días! It's—it's civil war! Yea, dat's it! It's civil war in Hueco Mundo!"_

_"That bad already? How long has this been going on?"_

_"A few months," _the voice, Nel, admitted.

_"Why wasn't the Seireitei informed before this? We would've sent reinforcements. I would've gone myself, even."_ Rukia's voice said.

_"Bu' we've been in a constant siege! Dis is been da firs' time en months dat Ulqui-sama could open a Garganta. He tolds me he'd send Grimmy-sama after me as soon as he coulds."_

_"Grimmjow's coming here? He'll destroy London! What's Ulquiorra thinking? And what about Starrk and Harribel? I thought they were the King and Queen of Las Noches, now."_

_"Starrk-sama's been nappin' an' Tier-sama's been fightin' da rogues fer a while now."_

_"Starrk's just been sleeping through all of this?"_ Toshiro's voice.

_"That's typical of him, but what's Lilynette doing about it?"_ Rukia asked.

_"She's been helpin' Tier-sama on da fron'lines!"_ Nel exclaimed.

_"Nel, listen to me!" _Ichigo's urgent voice._ "We'll open a Senkaimon for you, but you have to go straight to Renji, understand? You know who Renji is, remember? He's the Captain of the Ninth now, you know where that is, right? You've been to Seireitei before."_

_"Nel understands! She'll say ta Pineapple what she says ta Itsygo, righ'?"_

_"Yes, go straight to Pineapple-head, and tell him exactly what you told the Strawberry,"_ came Rukia's amused voice.

_"For the last time Rukia, my name does not mean 'strawberry',"_ came Ichigo's voice.

_"I have to disagree,"_ Rukia argued.

_"Behave yourselves, you two! I'll need both of your help to open a Senkaimon while still in a gigai."_

_"Fine! Don't get your haori in a twist, _Captain_," _Ichigo's sarcastic voice said.

_"Is that sarcasm I hear, Kurosaki?"_ Toshiro snapped.

_"Maybe, maybe not."_

_"Just…help me?"_

_"Okay. I'm guessing you want my reserves of reiryoku to fuel your spell?"_ Ichigo.

_"And my control coupled with your control to channel it?" _Rukia.

_"That's correct."_ Toshiro.

There was a _ding!_ like the ring of a bell and the sound of sliding doors, then a _"Ja ne!"_ from "Nel" and the sound of sliding doors again.

Fred quickly pulled the Extendable Ears up again.

"Wicked! It was already on that side of whatever barrier they put up, so it still worked!" George exclaimed. The others, who had been silent up until then broke out into conversation.

"Who was with them?"

"What were they talking about?"

"How come, do you suppose, they were so familiar with Professor Kurosaki?" That question broke through the torrent of questions.

"Yeah, Rukia addressed him as 'Ichigo,' and he didn't seem to care. Even when we call Snape by his name, we always say 'Professor' around him."

The wizarding children looked at each other, and then made a rush for the stairs.

"Let me through!"

"Come on, come on!"

"Hurry up!"

They ran through the house until they smacked straight into the three objects of interest.

"Would everyone kindly get off of me?" Ichigo's voice asked from the bottom of the pile of bodies.

"Sorry, Professor," Rukia said sweetly, hopping off. Adding in Japanese, in the same tone, **"Aren't you supposed to be one of the fastest warriors in the Seireitei?"**

**"Well, I'm sorry that I didn't dodge out of the way in time, Rukia. But I wasn't paying attention,"** Ichigo replied in a defeated tone.

"I know," Rukia replied sweetly, in English.

When they'd all untangled themselves, Ichigo was quick to leave, going to write a letter to Mashiro and Lisa to ask if they could go to the Seireitei and get Nel after she delivered her report so that they could take care of her at the Vizards' base.

He had also decided to ask Urahara if he would send Yoruichi to help them in her cat form.

But Rukia and Toshiro stayed, Rukia glaring after Ichigo and Toshiro silent, eyeing the wizards.

"Why were you running down the stairs so quickly?" he inquired quietly.

"No reason," Ginny replied coolly. Now that they were confronted by the problem, they'd realized they had no idea how to ask what they wanted to know.

Rukia looked at them, "If you have anything you want to ask, you can tell us, you know." She'd sensed the questioning feeling in their reiatsu.

"I actually have been meaning to talk to you about Japan," came Hermione's voice, "what's it like there? What's the wizarding community like? How about your old academy?" The bushy-haired witch descended the stairs and swept the two Shinigami away, throwing a 'you-owe-me' look over her shoulder at the other wizards.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry muttered under his breath.

* * *

**Me: Not my best chapter, but this is really just what I call a "bridge-chapter". Bridge-chapters are chapters that have no importance other then concluding and explaining things. Next chapter we'll get some action in, and Toad Lady (Umbridge) makes her first appearance!**

* * *

_Hueco Mundo: _Spanish for "Hollow World"

_Bakudō:_ Way of Binding

_Kyōmon:_ Mirror Door, a type of barrier

_Rokujuuroku: _the number 66 in Japanese

_Números:_ Spanish for "Numbers"

_Ja ne:_ Good-bye


	8. 7 Secret Found Out, Ichigo Escorts

**_Me: Hello! As promised, 3Alaska3-san, I updated today! This was a long chapter…Enjoy! Reviews first, though!_**

**__****_REVIEWS AND FORIEGN TRANSLATIONS AT BOTTOM.  
_**

* * *

****Normal Text

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

**'Ogichi Shirosaki'****  
**

**_'Zanpakutō'_**

* * *

**_I don't own anything but my OCs and the plot, now story, begin!  
_**

* * *

7. Secret Found Out, Ichigo Escorts

Ichigo quickly put the finishing touches on his letters.

_Dear Lisa and Mashiro,_

_I assume you've heard about my most recent report from Shinji. If not, feel free to bombard him with questions, I wrote that report for all of the Masked Army. On another note, I would appreciate it if you'd go to the Seireitei to pick Nel up. She should be delivering a report to Renji (Captain Abarai of the Ninth). Could you take care of her? I would let her stay at the Fifth Division, but I don't want my poor Lieutenant dealing with Nel by herself. The two of you seem to like her well enough, which is why I'm asking you to do this for me._

_Be careful, from, Ichigo and Shiro_

That one was going to the Vizards right away. Hopefully they'd get it before Nel destroyed the Fifth and/or the Ninth Division. In fact, as soon as he deemed it "done", he mailed it using another one of the Blacks' vast collection of owls. Why they needed so many birds was beyond him.

_Dear Hat 'n' Clogs and Yoruichi,_

_I'm having some trouble here in England. Yoruichi, I'm requesting that you come in your cat form to help me inconspicuously. Knowing you and Hat 'n' Clogs, you've probably been expecting me to ask this for a while. Well, now I actually am asking you to come._

_Signed, Ichigo Kurosaki and Ogichi Shirosaki_

"Great, now we just need to wait," Ichigo sighed.

* * *

A week later, it was the evening before Harry's hearing. All was quiet, and the only ones still awake were Ichigo and Sirius, having a quiet conservation near the still-burning fireplace.

"So how have you been sleeping in the boys' room?" Sirius asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Ichigo replied, "at least they don't snore. The one time I had to bunk with Renji, after his quarters were destroyed by a prank gone wrong, I didn't get a wink of sleep. At first I thought a rather large baboon had snuck into our room," Ichigo added.

Sirius laughed quietly. "I can only imagine."

Ichigo scowled, "Then, the next day, he was sick and I had to do all of his paperwork that day, despite my drop-dead exhaustion. Shuhei was too wasted to help me, either. It wasn't my best week."

"Shuhei?" Sirius asked. Ichigo had already explained that Renji was a good friend of his, but he hadn't heard Shuhei mentioned before.

"Shuhei Hisagi. He's Renji's—partner in our guild. Partners work together on assignments—and paperwork. My partner's name is Momo Hinamori," Ichigo added, seeing Sirius's questioning gaze.

Damn, with this level of subtlety, it was a wonder the wizards hadn't begun to suspect anything yet. Soifon and Yoruichi would have his hide for his lack of stealth.

"Hello, Sirius, Kurosaki-san, am I interrupting?" a voice asked quietly.

The two turned to see—Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping up.

"Dumbledore-jiisan," Ichigo recognized, mildly surprised at the old wizard's sudden appearance.

"Ah, Professor Kurosaki," Dumbledore said, "I've been meaning have a word with you. I suppose that now is as good a time as any. But first, Sirius," he turned to his former student, "I came to advise you not to go to Harry's hearing tomorrow. The last thing we need is the infamous Sirius Black showing up at Harry Potter's hearing in the middle of the Ministry of Magic."

"But, Professor, what if something—"

"What if something goes wrong? What if something happens? Well, Sirius, things happen, but they are rarely bad things, if you look at how many things happen to one person, that is. Either way, bad events do not always have evil consequences. Worry not, Harry will be safe." Dumbledore said cheerily, though there was a stern undertone.

Sirius hesitated, and then bowed his head. "I know. I already knew."

"Thank you, Sirius. Now, could you given Professor Kurosaki and myself some time alone? I need to discuss something with him."

There was a tense moment of silence after Sirius left, until finally Ichigo asked, "Well? Go on, Dumbledore-san."

"When were you planning on telling me?" Dumbledore asked, facing Ichigo with no anger in his voice. "Wait, don't answer that. You were never going to tell me, weren't you." It was not a question.

"Ah. Do you know, then?" Ichigo asked, closing his eyes.

"You're not human," Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly, "Alastor Moody knew this, and informed me. I must say, I suspected as much, but I wanted to confirm it myself."

"You're right," Ichigo announced, looking Dumbledore full in the eyes, "I'm not a human anymore."

"Anymore?" Dumbledore asked, curiosity sparking in his lively blue eyes.

"How much do you know, right now?" Ichigo asked, sharply.

"Know? Only what you've confirmed so far…and I suspect that you are a Shinigami."

Ichigo straightened, and towered over Dumbledore in what he hoped was an intimidating manner.

"Your suspicions are correct. Pay attention. I'll only say this once, and I'm only saying it because I need your trust," Ichigo began.

"Ah, something tells me this will take a while," Dumbledore interrupted. With a wave of his wand, he Summoned two of the Blacks' chairs behind each of them. Dumbledore sank back into his happily, and gesture for Ichigo to do the same.

Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo complied, flopping back into the plush armchair.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo continued, "I am the Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13—that translates to _Thirteen Court Guard Squads_ in your language. My father is a Shinigami, but my mother was a human, before she was killed—by a Hollow."

"Your mother was killed by a Hollow? What is a Hollow?" Dumbledore prodded, gently though.

"A Hollow is a corrupt soul," Ichigo explained, "Hollows are the manifestation of every human's base instincts. When a human soul stays the World of the Living for too long, their Inga no Kusari—that means Chain of Fate—erodes and destroys their heart, leaving an empty hole where the heart should be. By this time, all a Hollow has left is their instincts. Hollows have white masks to protect their raw instincts from the outside world's influence. If a Hollow's mask is broken, then their instincts are exposed and the shock tears apart their soul and kills them."

"So if a human soul stays in the human world for too long, his or her soul will degrade into something even less intelligent than an animal, left with nothing but instincts?"

"No," Ichigo said darkly, hanging his head so that shadows obscured his eyes, "Hollows aren't stupid. Most Hollows don't lose their human knowledge, just their humanity. But Hollows are hungry, Dumbledore-san. With the loss of the heart comes a hunger that cannot be satisfied. The hunger is a desire to _fill_ the emptiness left by the lost heart. But nothing can replace a heart, Dumbledore-san. So can you guess what the Hollows hunger for the most?"

"The human heart?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes flashing with interest.

"Yes," Ichigo said, "but it is almost impossible to separate a heart from a soul, of course with the exception of the Hollows themselves. So the Hollows eat souls."

"Like dementors," Dumbledore added.

"No, _not_ like dementors," Ichigo replied, scowling.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Dumbledore-san, according to your textbooks, when a dementor gives the Kiss, their victim is still technically living, though they are more like empty shells of people. Am I correct?"

"You are correct, Kurosaki-san, please continue."

"When a Hollow eats a human's soul, that soul is _destroyed_. The human dies and their soul is lost. Or, if the Hollow doesn't finish eating their soul, they become a Hollow themselves. Unless a Shinigami intervenes or the victim somehow manages to escape, Hollow attacks always end in death."

"Unless a Shinigami intervenes?" Dumbledore prompted.

"As I said, Dumbledore-san, I am the Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13. The Gotei 13 consists entirely of Shinigami and has four main branches: the Thirteen Divisions, the Kidō Corps, the Stealth Force and the Department of Research and Development. Each branch has a job to uphold.

"The Kidō Corps develop new Kidō techniques, are in charge of opening the Senkaimon and they are also in charge of keeping the Seireitei's barrier working.

"The Stealth Force carry important messages, gather intelligence, and are in charge of prisoners, assassinations and important missions that require stealth.

"The Department of Research and Development are in charge of developing new technology, keeping tabs on certain areas of the World of the Living and Hell, and are in charge of all equipment." Ichigo paused here, looking at Dumbledore with a serious expression on his face.

"But the Thirteen Divisions is the branch I belong to, and we are in charge of killing Hollows and purifying their souls. We also guide human souls to Soul Society, which you would call Heaven. When I said 'unless a Shinigami intervenes,' I meant that a Shinigami's duty is to protect innocent souls from Hollow attacks."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful, "I can't see how a Shinigami guiding a soul to the afterlife could be misconstrued as a Shinigami destroying a soul."

"Well," Ichigo replied, "it _might_ have something to do with the fact that we use our zanpakutō to preform Konso—that means Soul Burial—and that the soul dissolves in reishi right afterwards, it might look like to an ignorant outsider that we're killing the soul."

Dumbledore nodded. "I have the answers to my questions for now. I'll take leave of you now, but before I leave, I want to go inform Arthur to take you to Harry's hearing tomorrow."

Ichigo looked up in surprise, but nodded.

"Are you going to tell anyone what you heard today?" Ichigo asked.

"Alastor Moody already knows what you are, I think I should at the very least explain it to him. Also, I wish to inform the teachers at Hogwarts—although only the ones in the Order of the Phoenix, mind you."

"Just them? Because really I shouldn't have told a living human at all." Ichigo asked.

"Understood. But one more question, Professor." Dumbledore said, getting up from his chair.

"Yes?"

"What is Heaven like?" Dumbledore's eyes burned with a fierce curiosity as he asked the question.

"Nothing special. If you imagined paradise, you're going to be disappointed. It's similar to life in Feudal Japan, and everyone speaks a common language, which happens to be Japanese. I never lived in the Rukongai—where the regular souls reside—but Rukia and Toshiro did when they were younger. According to them, it's not very pleasant. Hollow attacks, starvation and all that."

"Rukia and Toshiro? They're Shinigami as well?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

"What did you expect? That we kidnapped two human children and brought them with us? Rukia's Captain of the Third Division and Toshiro's Captain of the Tenth Division."

"I have to admit, I hadn't thought of it," Dumbledore laughed, "And Moody hasn't had direct contact with them yet, either, so I imagine he didn't know. Well, goodbye, for now, Professor Kurosaki. We will talk again."

Ichigo stared after Dumbledore's retreating back, still debating if it had been wise to admit to everything.

_Well, he already knew, and there's no point in hiding it from him if he's willing to let it go. Besides, what's done is done,_ Ichigo decided.

* * *

The next morning, quarter after five, after Mr. Weasley had just gotten up, Ichigo approached him.

"Dumbledore came by last night," Ichigo said.

"I know, Dumbledore woke me up," Mr. Weasley replied stiffly.

"And he told you?" Ichigo asked.

Mr. Weasley looked at Ichigo, "He told me, but right now only Dumbledore, myself, Sirius and Moody know what you are."

Ichigo nodded, "I assumed he had told you, but I wanted to confirm it."

"He said that you should come with Harry and I, too," Mr. Weasley said, looking away.

"What about Rukia and Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.

"They don't know, we didn't tell them, if that's what you're asking," Mr. Weasley reassured Ichigo.

Ichigo blinked. So Dumbledore had kept Rukia and Toshiro's identities a secret?

Then, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius and Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen, each with worried expressions on their faces, and they were talking quietly.

Mrs. Weasley quickly made her way to the pantry, and began to cook breakfast for all.

Ichigo sank down in a chair, suddenly missing the familiar weight of Zangetsu on his back. Everyone's nervousness was affecting him, too. He could _feel_ the tension in the kitchen, but he ignored it the best he could. Not even listening to the conversation about—apparently—someone named Scrimgeour, he watched a spider try to climb up the wall for a few minutes.

Then Harry walked into the kitchen.

"M-m-morning, Harry," yawned Tonks, stretching herself as she allowed her now curly blonde hair to fall back across her shoulders. "Sleep all right?"

"Yeah," replied Harry.

"I've b-b-been up all night," she yawned again, "Come and sit down…"

She drew out a chair, and would've knocked it over if Ichigo hadn't quickly caught the back of the chair with his foot.

"Thanks, I-I-Ichigo," Tonks said with another shuddering yawn. He just nodded at her.

"What do you want, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?"

"Just—just toast, thanks," Harry replied.

"What were you saying about Scrimgeour, Tonks?" Lupin asked, after glancing at Harry. Bored with watching the spider, Ichigo turned towards the conversation.

"Oh…yeah…well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me funny questions…and I'll have to tell Dumbledore that I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just t-t-too tired," Tonks finished, yawning once more.

"I'll cover for you," Mr. Weasley offered, "I'm okay, I've got a report to finish anyway…" Then he turned to Harry, "How are you feeling?"

Harry replied with a shrug, and Ichigo assumed it was because Harry was too nervous about his hearing to use words.

"It'll all be over soon," Mr. Weasley said bracingly, "In a few hours' time you'll be cleared."

**'Or not,'** Shiro added.

**_'According to their own laws, they don't have a case against him,'_** Zangetsu replied.

"The hearing's on my floor," Mr. Weasley continued, "in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and she's the one who'll be questioning you."

"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," Tonks added, "She's fair, she'll hear you out."

Harry nodded silently as Ichigo watched.

"Don't lose your temper," Sirius advised, "Be polite and stick to the facts."

"The law's on your side," Lupin said quietly, "Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life-threatening situations."

Ichigo watched in grim amusement as Harry started when Mrs. Weasley began to attack his unruly with a wet comb.

"Doesn't it ever lie flat?" She complained.

"I think we'll go now," Mr. Weasley interrupted, "We're a bit early, but I think you'll be better off there than standing around here."

"Okay," Harry said tonelessly, getting to his feet.

"You'll be all right, Harry," Tonks said reassuringly, patting his arm and stifling a small yawn.

"Good luck," said Lupin, "I'm sure it will fine."

"And if it's not," Sirius said darkly, "I'll see to Amelia Bones for you…"

Fortunately, Sirius's comment elected a weak smiled from Harry, which was better than nothing, Ichigo supposed.

Ichigo padded along quietly after Harry, who followed Mr. Weasley.

As they walked outside and down the street, Ichigo saw a Shinigami carefully watching them from a telephone pole. He subtly jerked his head, and pointed in the opposite direction of their destination. The message was clear: _Go and don't reveal yourself._

The Shinigami saluted his Captain, who he'd clearly recognized, and shunpo'd away.

"You don't normally walk to work, do you?" Harry's voice asked. Ichigo realized he was a few meters behind them, and hurried to catch up.

"No," Mr. Weasley answered, "I usually Apparate, but obviously you can't, and I think it's best we arrive in a thoroughly non-magical fashion…makes a better impression, given what you're being disciplined for…"

The three of them toke the Underground to the heart of London, and they walked down a few streets until they were in front a rather shabby-looking pub.

"Here we are," Mr. Weasley said brightly, pointing at an old, red telephone box, which was missing several panes of glass. "After you, Ichigo, Harry."

Ichigo stepped into the telephone box, along with Harry and Mr. Weasley.

Ichigo felt ridiculous as Mr. Weasley punched in a set of numbers, "Six, two, four, and another four, and another two…" As he finished, a cool female voice sounded inside the telephone box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, here to escort Harry Potter, who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing, and Ichigo Kurosaki, who is also here to escort Harry Potter on the request of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore."

"Thank you, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

There were two badges: _Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing_ and _Ichigo Kurosaki, Escort to Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing._

"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

Ichigo quickly made sure he had his wand with him. After confirming its presence, he put his badge on the front of his shirt, which he had been holding in his hand up until then.

After Ichigo pinned the badge to his shirt, there was a jerking sensation and the telephone box began to sink into the ground. With wide eyes, Ichigo glanced at Mr. Weasley, who didn't seem overly worried about it, so he assumed that this was normal.

The telephone box continued to make its way underground for a while, and they the doors slid apart. As Ichigo stepped out, he saw Harry's jaw drop. His own eyes widened when we saw the Atrium, and he'd seen the Seireitei.

The floors were of polished black wood, as were the walls. The ceiling was covered in ever-changing gold writing, like some sort of celestial notice board. On the left side of the Atrium, there were gilded fireplaces that wizards would arrive through in a flash of green fire every few seconds. On the right side, there were more gilded fireplaces, but lines of wizards leaving the Ministry blocked these from view, mostly.

In the center of the Atrium, there was a gold fountain with various statues on it. The statue in the center was of a handsome wizard with his wand lifted high, and on his right was a beautiful witch statue whose wand was lower than the wizard's, but still raised.

To the witch and wizard's left was a centaur with a drawn bow, a goblin and a house elf. These latter three gazed adoringly up at the witch and wizard.

Ichigo almost snorted. These wizards' arrogance almost amazed him. Did they really think they were better than everyone else just because they had twigs they could channel reiatsu through?

As they crossed the Atrium, Ichigo looked at an inscription in on the fountain: _All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren will be given to St. Mungo's Hospital for magical Maladies and Injuries_. As he read this, he noticed various wizarding coins scattered on the bottom of the fountain, like a wishing well.

Like the woman's voice from the telephone box—the visitor's entrance, he supposed—had told them to do, they went over to the security desk at the other side of the Atrium. Ichigo presented his wand first.

The man at the desk toke out a small silver instrument from out from under his desk and placed the black wand on it.

The man sighed and looked at the instrument carefully, before announcing, "Fifteen inches, duel core of phoenix feather and dragon heartstring, been in use less than a year, that correct?"

"Hai, that's right," Ichigo confirmed.

"Right," the man said as he scribbled that down on a piece of paper and tacked it to a notice board behind him. "Here's your wand back. Now for the boy's."

Ichigo watched carefully as Harry gave the man his wand. "Eleven inches, phoenix feather, been in use four years, is that correct?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, looking nervous.

The man repeated the process of scribbling the information down and tacking it behind him, then the man's eyes lingered on Harry's forehead. Or more accurately, they lingered on the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead.

"Thank you, Eric," Mr. Weasley said stiffly, intervening as he noticed the man's gaze. He quickly steered Harry away into a golden lift.

Ichigo tuned out his surroundings again, preferring to wonder where Dumbledore was, and then a paper airplane flew into the lift, flapping its wings like a bird.

_'What the—?'_

**'—hell?'** Shiro finished for him.

**_'Have you two learned nothing yet? There are bound to be unusual things in a ministry full of wizards.'_** Zangetsu reminded them calmly.

_'Why've you two been so silent recently?' _Ichigo changed the subject.

**'I've been napping. It's so boring in here. And Zangetsu-ossan is always silent. Once again, in case you missed it the first time, it's boring in here!'** Shiro replied, letting annoyance seep into his tone.

_'Che. Not my problem.'_

**'Don't you ignore me, Kuro—'**

Ichigo snapped back to reality as Mr. Weasley began to guide Harry towards the lift's now-open doors.

Immediately, he felt trapped and vulnerable. Why? Because of a large notice on a nearby wall of a cubicle:

_ATTENTION:_

_All Aurors not working on O-rank cases are to focus their efforts on combating the Shinigami, with the sole exception of Aurors whose missions and/or cases have been allowed to continue by the Head of Department or the Minister of Magic._

And next to it was a lopsided sign:_ AUROR HEADQUARTERS._

* * *

Mr. Weasley felt the orange-haired Shinigami beside him stiffen suddenly. He saw the notice and winced in sympathy. Kurosaki was walking into a lion's den.

"Don't worry, Kurosaki," he said, looking at the Shinigami reassuringly.

The man glanced at him, and Kurosaki nodded, though he still seemed nervous.

* * *

Harry watched the two ginger-haired men talk quietly, and realized how _young_ Professor Kurosaki looked beside Mr. Weasley. His bright eyes were still alive with the fire of youth.

Not wanting to be caught staring, Harry's eyes flicked around until something caught his eye. A window. A window that showed a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds and that sunlight streamed through.

"Mr. Weasley? Aren't we underground?" Harry asked.

Two pairs of eyes fixed on him, one set blue and the other pair amber.

"Yes, we are," Mr. Weasley replied, looking at the windows, "those are enchanted windows, Magical Maintenance decide what weather we're getting every day. We had two months of hurricanes last time they were angling for a pay raise."

"We should get going," Ichigo advised, "sooner the better."

Mr. Weasley nodded and led the two through the Department.

"Ah, yes, just round here…"

As Mr. Weasley led them towards the other side of the room, Harry spotted an eye-patched witch chatting with Kingsley Shacklebolt, member of the Order of the Phoenix and the Auror heading the Sirius Black case.

"…and you get to continue your investigations with Black! Honestly, Amos Dewitt is _just _as dangerous, even though they only ranked it as an E-ranked case! But _no_, 'Dawn, drop the Dewitt case, he doesn't take near enough priority to these _Soul Reapers_,' honestly!" the witch exclaimed, raising her voice slightly.

"Dawn, I'm actually quite jealous. Black's a slippery devil, been eluding us for over a year now. But even so, these Shinigami seem to be more of a challenge." Kingsley seemed to catch slight of Arthur. "Morning, Weasley! I've been wanting a word with you, have you got a second?"

The witch _humph_'d and stalked off, brushing past Professor Kurosaki, who practically jumped out of his skin. Harry frowned at that his unusual behavior, but said nothing.

"Yes, if it really is a second," Mr. Weasley replied icily, "I'm in rather a hurry."

They were talking to each other as though they hardly knew each other, and when Harry opened his mouth to say hello to Kingsley, Ichigo trod on his foot. Harry glared up at his new professor—who refused to meet his accusatory gaze, feeling his injured appendage throb from the force of Kurosaki's blow. They followed Kingsley along the row and into the very last cubicle.

Harry received a slight shock; Sirius's face was blinking down at him from every direction. Newspaper cuttings and old photographs—even the one of Sirius being best man at the Potters' wedding—papered the walls/ The only Sirius-free space was a map of the world in which little red pins were glowing like jewels.

"Here," said Kingsley gruffly, shoving a sheaf of parchment into his hand, "I need as much information as possible on flying Muggle vehicles sighted in the last twelve months. We've received information that Black might still be using his old motorcycle."

Kingsley winked at Harry, and added in a whisper, _"Give him the magazine, he might find it interesting."_ The he continued in a normal voice, "And don't take too long, Weasley, the delay on that firelegs report held our investigation up for a month."

"If you had read my report you would know that term is 'firearms,'" Mr. Weasley replied in cool tones, "And I'm afraid you'll have to wait for information on motorcycles, our Department is extremely busy at the moment." In a lowered voice, he added, _"If you can get away before seven, Molly's making meatballs."_

They left Kingsley, and arrived at a battered door that read in gold writing: _MISUSE OF MUGGLE ARTIFACTS_.

The office inside was the size of a broom cupboard. Two desks were crammed inside, along with overflowing file cabinets around the walls.

"My office in Japan's much less organized than this, but at least it's bigger," Ichigo commented.

"Your office? Where do you work?" Harry asked.

"You don't have an equivalent here in Europe. I'm a Taicho, but I suppose you could compare them with your Aurors." Ichigo said. _Technically,_ that was completely true.

Mr. Weasley shrugged off Ichigo's comment, "We haven't got a window. We've asked, but they don't seem to think we need one. Have a seat, Harry, doesn't look as if Perkins is in yet."

Glancing at Ichigo, he gesturing to the only other chair in the office, "Would you—?"

"No, during meetings with the Soutaicho we have to stand up for hours on end, listening to him drone on and on—I think I can handle not having a chair."

Mr. Weasley nodded and seated himself. And no sooner had he, then a stooped, timid-looking old wizard with fluffy white hair burst into the room, panting.

"Oh, Arthur!" He exclaimed, "Thank goodness, I didn't know what to do for the best, whether to wait here for you or not, I've just sent an owl to your home but you've obviously missed it—an urgent message came in ten minutes ago—"

"What? Another regurgitating toilet?"

"No, no, well yes, but that's not the point, it's the Potter boy's hearing—they've changed the time and venue—it starts at eight o'clock now and it's down in old Courtroom Ten—"

"Down in old—but they told me—Merlin's beard—"

Glancing at his watch, he yelped and grabbed Harry, "Quick, Harry, we should have been there five minutes ago!"

"Why have they changed the time?" asked Harry as he was dragged behind Mr. Weasley. Next to them, Ichigo effortlessly kept pace, a scowl etched on his face.

"I've no idea, but thank goodness we got here so early, if you'd missed it, it would have been catastrophic!"

Skidding to a halt behind the lift, Ichigo—who had passed them up some time ago—jabbed the little down arrow impatiently.

"Come ON!" Mr. Weasley shouted, tapping his foot as he and Harry caught up.

Mr. Weasley checked his watch again as they raced into the lift and cursed furiously, meanwhile Ichigo was muttering something in Japanese. Pummeling the 9 button, Mr. Weasley continued talking.

"Those courtrooms haven't been used in years," said Mr. Weasley angrily, "I can't think why they're doing it down there—unless—but no…"

Various passengers got on and off—a sallow-skinned wizard got in when they passed the Atrium.

"Morning, Arthur. Don't often see you down here…" he said.

"Urgent business, Bode," Mr. Weasley replied in an anxious tone.

"Ah, yes," Bode acknowledged glancing at Harry, "Of course." What, did everybody and their brother know that he had a disciplinary hearing today?!

"Department of Mysteries," the cool female voice announced as the lift opened again.

"Quick, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, and he pulled Harry along a corridor with plain walls, and no doors except a plain black one at the end. Halfway through the corridor, the stopped in front of a stairwell, and proceeded to race down it. But Harry didn't miss the strange look that Ichigo gave the black door.

They thundered down the steps, and Harry heard Mr. Weasley muttering to himself, "Courtroom…ten…I think…we're nearly…yes…"

Mr. Weasley stumbled to a halt outside a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock and slumped against the wall, panting heavily. Ichigo, however, showed no signs of having just run a good distance, besides a few deep breaths.

"Go on," Ichigo said, pointing to the door, "Get in there. Something tells me that that's Courtroom Ten."

"Aren't—aren't you coming with—?"

"No, no, we're not allowed. Good luck!" Mr. Weasley said briskly.

Harry closed his eyes, opened them again, and stepped into Courtroom Ten.

* * *

"I do hope he's alright," Mr. Weasley murmured.

Ichigo looked at the balding redhead, and his hard gaze softened.

"He'll be fine, Arthur. This isn't the first time I've had to deal with unfair, biased politics, but from my experience, if the verdict is undeserved, it usually doesn't hold permanently." Ichigo's eyes hardened again. "And if it does, Amelia Bones won't just have Sirius after her."

Mr. Weasley seemed to find reassurance in these words.

"Ah, Arthur, Professor Kurosaki, I see you're already here?"

Ichigo turned an unsurprised face towards Dumbledore, who hadn't even tried to hide his rather powerful presence.

"I was wondering how long it would take you and your friend—a Squib, maybe?—to get here." He said lazily.

"Ah, you sensed my presence, I assume, Kurosaki-taicho," Dumbledore stated brightly.

Ichigo nodded, "And your companion's reiatsu wasn't that of a wizard's, and I would assume you wouldn't bring a Muggle here, so I assumed a Squib."

"You aren't a Taicho for nothing, I suppose," Dumbledore admitted.

_'A hundred years tends to sharpen one's skills of perception, especially with teachers like mine.'_ Ichigo commented to himself.

**'I have to agree with that, although I'm surprised how much you've improved at sensing reiatsu,'** Shiro replied.

**_'He has room for improvement,'_** Zangetsu commented.

**'Which means Kuro still sucks, right, Zangetsu-ossan?'** Shiro laughed.

"Well," Dumbledore said, "if Mrs. Figg would stay with Mr. Weasley for the moment, I believe Professor Kurosaki and I have an appointment with the Wizengamot?"

And he stepped through the iron doors.

* * *

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe: Percy Ignatius Weasley—"

"—Witness for the defense: Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore—"

"—and Ichigo Kohaku Kurosaki."

And the Wizengamot turned to see Dumbledore and an orange-haired young man, whose amber eyes seemed to glow gold with accusation.

At one end of the Courtroom, a black-haired boy closed his brilliant green eyes in relief and let out a sigh. He was saved.

At another end of the Courtroom, a toad-like face scrunched up in anger and fists clenched in a pink-covered lap. Her plan was going all wrong!

* * *

_Gotei 13: _Thirteen Court Guards Squads

_Shinigami: _Literally translates to "Death God,"—also Soul Reaper.

_Inga no Kusari:_ Chain of Fate

_Konso:_ Soul Burial

* * *

**_fokker333:_** Hermione's going to be all over that, you can tell! And I kept as many of the Espada alive as I could get away with. The only I don't have a reason for still being alive is Ulquiorra, but I don't think anyone cares as long as he's still alive and makes an appearance…because he's just that badass.

**_BlackGryphon101:_** I never said Tite Kubo didn't go on a killing spree, I just said that J. K. Rowling did…did that sound wrong to anyone else? And I know what's going down with the Thousand Year Blood War, damn Quincys…

**_pucflek:_** Starrk's going to get off his ass soon…but who said Las Días has shown it's full strength yet? *duh duh DUN* As for Lilynette, just because she told NEL that she was going to the frontlines doesn't mean she has PERMISSION to be there. I mean, this is Nel and Lilynette we're talking about.

**_Himawari-no-Ichizoku:_** I just got a mental image of that. Oh, dear Kami, I should add omakes…

**_YellowWomanontheBrink:_** They'll recognize Nel, and be suspicious. But right now, they're too anxious about Harry's hearing. But what will happen when they're suddenly in the all-clear? You'll have to find out!

**_Sleepyreader319:_** Don't worry…don't worry…they'll torture the toad. Any suggestions? I'd _LOVE_ to incorporate any ideas you have.

**_Morte Cacciatore:_** The IchiRukiness of the plot is going to get really obvious soon, but not too soon. I've already dropped a few hints in past chapters if you squint.

**_Zolazola:_** He's a-comin', he's a-comin'.

**_The Purple Jade:_** Umbridge'll be at Hogwarts, but the Rita Skeeter idea is gold, I might use that. And this plot is complex. I set up a Powerpoint and several Word documents so that _I_ don't lose track of my ideas.

**_thingofmyth:_** By this point, it won't matter if they DO tell the Order…actually, it will. It won't matter for Ichigo…but they…yeah, it'd matter for the ice-wielding midgets…if you've read the chapter already, you'll understand.

**_deathbykitsune:_** I never said Nel was gone for good, did I? Ichigo'll get a Hug of Doom in the not-so-near future.

**_Hebi R:_** 2 plus 2 equals pi…seems legit.

**_Qwerty321:_** Well, going from formalities to good friends is really suspicious. Don't worry, it'll be addressed in later chapters.

**_Funkegirl:_** You got it, reviews at the end of the chapter…

**_formerlyarandomreviewer:_** You had to…socialize? I feel your pain…

**_RukiaKuchikiRoyAi:_** Shirokoorino Doresu (Dress of White Ice). Stronger version of Rukia's Shikai, with more Dances, which I'll reveal later on. Does that answer your question?

**_Ali-Kun:_** …Kay?

* * *

_THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED!_


	9. 8 The Hearing

**_Me: Sorry for being late. I was busy and this was a pain in the ass to write. Next chapter will be better, hopefully longer, and will be updated sooner. Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed.  
_**

**__****_REVIEWS AND FORIEGN TRANSLATIONS AT BOTTOM.  
_**

* * *

Normal Text

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

**'Ogichi Shirosaki/Hollow Ichigo'****  
**

**_'Zanpakutō'_**

* * *

**_I don't own anything but my OCs and the plot, now story, begin!_**

* * *

**8. The Hearing (Oh My God, WHAT A CREATIVE TITLE, HOW DID I THINK OF IT!?)**

The members of the Wizengamot were muttering. Some were casting glances at Dumbledore, while others seemed focused on the Japanese man beside him.

"Ah," a flustered-looking Fudge said, "Dumbledore. Yes. You—er—got our—er—message that the time and—er—place of the hearing had been changed, then?"

"I must have missed it," Dumbledore replied cheerfully, "However, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Fudge._ 'This guy…he clearly was expecting his little ruse to fool Dumbledore. But why doesn't he want Dumbledore here?'_

**_'Probably because it's easier to terrorize a fifteen-year-old boy than a hundred-year-old man.'_** Zangetsu replied tonelessly.

"Yes—well—I suppose we'll need another set of chairs—I—Weasley, could you—?"

"Not to worry, not to worry," Dumbledore interrupted pleasantly; he took out his wand, gave it a little flick, and two squashy armchairs appeared out of nowhere, on either side of Harry. Dumbledore sat down, put the tips of his long fingers together, and looked at Fudge with an expression of polite interest.

Meanwhile, Ichigo sank down in his armchair, but seemed prepared to spring out of it at a moment's notice. Whether this was due to a lack of trust of the Wizengamot or a lack of trust of the chair itself was not clear.

The Wizengamot continued muttering and began to fidget restlessly; only when Fudge spoke again did they settle.

"Yes," Fudge spoke, "Well, then. So. The charges. Yes. The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on August the second at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offense under paragraph C of the Decree of for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. You are Harry James Potter, of number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"You have received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?"

"Yes, but—"

"And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August?"

"Yes, but—"

"Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?"

"Yes, but—"

"Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?"

"Yes, but—"

"Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?"

_"Yes,"_ Harry snapped. Ichigo winced. Hadn't Sirius said not to lose his temper? "But I only used it because we were—"

He was cut off by a witch, who seated at Fudge's left, "You produced a fully fledged Patronus?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed, "because—"

"A corporeal Patronus?"

"A—what?" asked Harry.

"Your Patronus had a clearly defined form? I mean to day, it was more than vapor or smoke?"

"Yes," said an obviously annoyed Harry, "it's a stag, it's always a stag."

"Always?" the witch continued, "You have produced a Patronus before now?"

"Yes, I've been doing it for over a year—"

"And you are fifteen years old?"

"Yes, and—"

"You learned this at school?"

"Yes, Professor Lupin taught me in my third year, because of the—"

"Impressive," the witch interrupted, "A true Patronus at that age…very impressive indeed."

The mutterings began again, though some witches and wizards were nodding instead of frowning like others.

"It's not a question of how impressive the magic _was_," Fudge snapped, "In fact, the more impressive the worse it is, I would have thought, given the boy did it in plain view of a Muggle!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, Harry's voice shouted out.

"I did it because of the dementors!"

Silence. So quiet that Ichigo could _hear_ the hammering of Harry's heart, though it might have been his own. A Shinigami was standing—well, sitting—right before the Wizengamot and they had no clue! He was powerful enough to not have any trouble with the Aurors normally, but with the limiter that was placed on all Captain-level Shinigami and the effects the Sekkiseki gigai were bound to have on his soul, he might not be able to hold them off.

"Dementors?" the same witch as before asked. By now, Ichigo was fairly sure that she was Madam Bones, who was supposed to be in charge of Harry's hearing. "What do you mean, boy?"

"I _mean_," said Harry, "there were two _dementors_ down that alleyway and they went for me and my cousin!"

"Ah," Fudge said, smirking unpleasantly, "Yes. Yes, I thought we'd be hearing something like this."

"Dementors in Little Whinging?" Madam Bones continued, thankfully ignoring Fudge, "I don't understand—"

Fudge cut her off, "Don't you, Amelia? Let me explain: He's been thinking it through and decided dementors would make a very nice little cover story, very nice indeed. Muggles can't see dementors, can they, boy? Highly convenient, highly convenient…so it's just your word and no witnesses…"

"I'm not lying! There were two of them, coming from opposite ends of the alley, everything went dark and cold and my cousin felt them and ran for it—"

"Enough, enough!" Fudge growled. However, Ichigo was too deep in his thoughts to glare at him.

_'Muggles can't see dementors? When I heard of them, I thought they sounded similar to Hollows, but maybe they _are_ actually Hollows? But no—surely the wizards would have noticed something by now at least.'_ Ichigo thought to himself.

**'I dunno, King,'** Shiro commented, and it was a mark of how serious the situation was that Shiro reverted to his old nickname, **'these wizards seem pretty dense. And you'd better pay attention to the hearing, what if you miss something important? We'll talk about this later, but I swear, if it rains, I'm going to beat you halfway to Hell.'**

_'Thank you for that, Shiro,'_ Ichigo said sarcastically.

"…witness to the presence of dementors in that alleyway," Dumbledore was saying, "other than Dudley Dursley, I mean."

Fudge's entire demeanor seemed to deflate with defeat. Then his eyes fell on Ichigo.

"Who is the witness?" Fudge asked carefully, "Surely not—"

"I was not anywhere near Little Whinging, much less Privet Drive, during the incident," Ichigo cut Fudge off, now smirking triumphantly. He'd been wondering when Dumbledore had been going to play that little trump card. After all, Dumbledore wouldn't have brought a Squib to Harry's hearing if she didn't impact it somehow.

"Then why are you here?" Fudge snapped, but before Ichigo could answer, "And never mind that! What witness? The Wizengamot doesn't have the time nor the desire to listen to more taradiddles, I afraid, Dumbledore. I want this dealt with quickly!"

"I may be wrong," Dumbledore said pleasantly, "but I am sure that under the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, the accused has the right to present witnesses for his or her case? Isn't that the policy of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Bones?" He aimed the last question at the witch with the monocle.

"True," she answered, "Perfectly true."

"Oh, very well, very well," Fudge growled, "Where is this person?"

"I brought her with me. She's just outside the door. Should I—?" Dumbledore began, and then cut himself off.

"No—Weasley, you go," Fudge ordered. Percy jumped up at once and bounded out the door.

"I'll go as well," Ichigo said quickly, following the red-haired Weasley boy—Percy—out the door. Moments later, they returned, followed by Mrs. Figg.

Dumbledore moved to give up his chair for Mrs. Figg, but Ichigo ushered her into his chair, and stood behind it.

"Full name?" Fudge asked loudly.

"Arabella Doreen Figg," Mrs. Figg announced in a quavering voice.

"And who exactly are you?"

"I'm a resident of Little Whinging, close to where Harry Potter lives."

"We have no record of any witch or wizard living in Little Whinging other than Harry Potter," Madam Bones interrupted, "That situation has always been closely monitored, given….given past events."

"I'm a Squib," Mrs. Figg replied, "so you wouldn't have me registered, would you?"

"A Squib, eh? We'll be checking that. You'll leave details of your parentage with my assistant. Incidentally, can Squibs see dementors?" Fudge asked.

_'I'd assume so, because she has just as much reiryoku as any of you, she merely lacks the ability to channel it,'_ Ichigo thought to himself. He'd say it out loud if it weren't for the fact that Harry would be the one to suffer if he spoke out of turn.

"Yes, we can!" Mrs. Figg said indignantly.

"Very well," Fudge said coolly, "what is your story?"

"I has gone out to buy cat food from the corner shop at the end of Wisteria Walk, shortly after nine on the evening of the second of August," gabbled Mrs. Figg mechanically, as if she had practiced it many times over, "when I heard a disturbance down the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. On approaching the mouth of the alleyway, I saw two dementors running—"

"Running? Dementors don't run, they glide," Madam Bones interrupted.

_'A slip of the tongue,' _Ichigo thought, _'why are they making such a big deal of it?'_

"That's what I meant to say. Gliding along the alley toward what looked like two boys."

"What did they look like?"

"Well, one was very large and the other one was rather skinny—"

"The dementors, not the boys! The dementors…describe them."

"Oh," Mrs. Figg said, flushing, "They were big. Big and wearing cloaks."

Ichigo facepalmed. Really? Big and wearing cloaks? _He_ could describe dementors with more accuracy than that, and he'd only seen a picture of them in a book. 'Black hoods,' and 'skeletal hands,' would've been good phrases to use.

"Big and wearing cloaks," Madam Bones repeated, "I see. Anything else?"

"Yes. I _felt_ them. Everything went cold, and this was a very warm summer's night, mark you. And I felt…as though all the happiness had gone from the world…and I remembered…dreadful things…"

Ichigo's interest level increased. Was this the effect a dementor had on the Living? He'd known for a while that they sucked your soul out (theoretically) but _this_ was a new development.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Figg's voice shook and died in her throat.

"What did the dementors do?" Madam Bones asked.

"They went for the boys," Mrs. Figg replied were new fervor, "One of them had fallen. The other was backing away, trying to repel the dementor. That was Harry. He tried twice and produced a silver vapor. On the third attempt, he produced a Patronus, which charged down the first dementors and then, with his encouragement, chased away the second dementor from his cousin. And that…that was what happened," Mrs. Figg concluded.

There was silence for a moment, then Fudge raised his head and said aggressively, "That's what you saw, is it?"

"That was what happened," Mrs. Figg repeated.

"Very well," Fudge said coolly, "you may go."

Mrs. Figg cast a frightened look around her, and with one last glance at Dumbledore, scurried out of the room.

"Not a very convincing witness," Fudge commented.

"Oh, I don't know," Madam Bones said, "She certainly described the effects of a dementor attack very accurately. And I can't why she would say they there if they weren't—"

"But dementors wandering into a Muggle suburb and just _happening_ to come across a wizard?" Fudge snorted, "The odds on that must be very, very long, even Bagman wouldn't have bet—"

"Oh, I don't think any of us believe the dementors were there by coincidence," Dumbledore said lightly.

_"What are you doing?"_ Ichigo hissed, confusion showing on his face.

If Dumbledore heard him, he showed no signs of doing so. Harry, however, cast an equally confused glance in Ichigo's direction.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Fudge inquired icily.

"It means I think they were ordered there," Dumbledore explained calmly. At that moment, there was a burst of reiatsu that surprised Ichigo for a moment. It wasn't powerful enough for the wizards to notice it, but what sickened him was the anger, fear and partial guilt mixed in it. Their wasn't enough guilt for whoever it was to actually regret whatever they had done, and considered that the reiatsu had spiked in response to Dumbledore's words, he could guess whatever they had done. His eyes wandered to the right of Fudge, where the reiatsu was coming from.

"I think we might have a record of it if someone had ordered a pair of dementors to go strolling through Little Whinging!" Fudge yelled, flushing pink.

"Not if the dementors are taking orders from other than the Ministry of Magic these days," Dumbledore replied easily, "I have already given you my view on this matter, Cornelius."

The reiatsu Ichigo had been monitoring seemed to relax, though he felt his own rise in annoyance. Was that it? Someone should have noticed that spike! And then this stupid trial would be _pointless_ because they'd have the person who'd set the dementors on Harry, making his charges null and void.

He shook himself. He wasn't in Soul Society anymore; these people couldn't sense reiatsu at all. He couldn't fault them for it, they were still Living souls.

"Yes, you have," Fudge said savagely, "and I have no reason to believe that your views are anything other than bilge, Dumbledore. The dementors remain in place at Azkaban and are doing everything we ask them to."

"Then," Dumbledore said quietly, "We must ask ourselves why somebody inside the Ministry ordered a pair of dementors into that alleyway on the second of August."

The reiatsu spiked again at these words, only further pissing Ichigo off.

**'Calm down, there, Kuro,'** Shiro said warningly, **'we're having an earthquake in here!'**

_'Gomenasai,'_ Ichigo murmured back, trying to reign in his anger with the witch to Fudge's right.

**'Nah, don't be sorry. She pisses me off, too. I just don't want to be hit by falling debris.'**

And then, as if to mock Ichigo, the witch on Fudge's right leaned closer. She resembled a toad, and was dressed all in Yachiru-pink except for the black velvet bow in her hair.

**'I feel sick,'** Shiro announced.

_'From my inner earthquake or from looking at her?'_

**'Looking at her,'** Shiro replied without hesitation.

"The Chair recognizes Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," Fudge announced.

So the toad had a name.

The girlish, high-pitched voice that escaped her lips shocked Ichigo. He was expecting a croak, and, judging by Harry's expression, he hadn't been the only one. And yet, he would have preferred a toad's croak to Umbridge's voice.

"I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, Professor Dumbledore. So silly of me. But it sounded as though you were suggesting that the Ministry of Magic had ordered an attack on this boy!" Umbridge simpered innocently. But however innocent her voice was, her eyes gleamed with maliciousness.

Ichigo was suddenly reminded of stories of how Aizen was before the Ryoka Invasion. Ichigo, as one of the Ryoka, only saw Aizen after he revealed his true colors, but according to his Lieutenant, Shinji and the oldest division members, Aizen had been hardworking, trusted, thoughtful, caring…but a bad egg all the way through. His so-called innocence was what allowed him to manipulate the Seireitei's forces so easily.

"If it's true that the dementors are taking orders only from the Ministry of Magic, and it is also true that two dementors attacked Harry and his cousin a week ago, then it follows logically that somebody at the Ministry might have ordered the attacks," Dumbledore explained, "Of course, these particular dementors may have been outside Ministry control—"

"There are no dementors outside Ministry control!" Fudge yelled angrily, turning crimson with anger.

"If I may speak," Ichigo cut in, "I'd have to say I beg to differ."

Heads turned towards the disguised Shinigami.

"Answer me this: Do you believe, that out of the hundreds of dementors in existence, that it is impossible for two to not listen to you? An entire species, albeit a small one, under the command of one group? I doubt it."

Before Fudge or Umbridge, who were now both an interesting shade of magenta, could speak, Dumbledore answered, "I believe Mr. Kurosaki brings up an excellent point. Do you remember, one and a half years ago, that you assigned dementors as guards at Hogwarts? Not only did they disobey _my_ orders, but a few of your orders were ignored as well."

"Catching Sirius Black was their priority back then—!" Fudge protested. But Madam Bones was the one who interrupted him this time.

"I think that the witness for the defense has brought up an interesting point," Madam Bones agreed, "it is true that of the many dementors, two or three would go unnoticed for a while. And it is also true that one and a half years ago, dementors disobeyed orders."

"I would remind everybody that the behavior of these dementors, if indeed they were not figments of this boy's imagination, is not the subject of this hearing!"

Ichigo almost snorted. Fudge's counter by changing the subject was weak. The Captains of the Gotei 13 might be insane, but at least they were all better leaders than Fudge.

_'I'd like to see Fudge last more than five minutes in a Captain's Meeting,'_ Ichigo commented to Shiro.

**'You mean before or after he gets his ass Senbonzakura'd or Suzumebachi'd?"**

_'Or, at this rate, Getsuga Tenshou'd,'_ Ichigo added coldly, as his eyes passed over Umbridge again.

"Of course they are," Dumbledore said, "the presence of dementors in that alleyway is highly relevant. Clause seven of the Decree states that magic may be used before Muggles in exceptional circumstances, and as those exceptional circumstances include situations that threaten the life of the wizard or witch himself, or witches, wizards, or Muggles present at the time of the—"

"WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH CLAUSE SEVEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

"So we agree that Harry's Patronus Charm in these circumstances falls precisely into the category of exceptional circumstances it describes?"

"If there were dementors, which I doubt," Fudge admitted.

Ichigo felt annoyed, but Dumbledore seemed like he had the rest of the trial in the bag, so he stayed silent.

"You have heard from an eyewitness. If you still doubt her truthfulness, call her back, question her again. I am sure she would not object. Naturally, you would not care how many times you hear from a witness, if the alternative is a serious miscarriage of justice."

"Serious miscarriage, my hat! Have you ever bothered to tot up the number of cock-and-bull stories this boy has come out with, Dumbledore, while trying to cover up his flagrant misuse of magic out of school? I suppose you've forgotten the Hover Charm he used three years ago!"

"That's wasn't me, it was a house-elf!" Harry protested."

"YOU SEE!?" Fudge roared, "A house-elf! In a Muggle house! I ask you—"

"The house-elf in question is currently in employ of Hogwarts School. I can summon him here in an instant if you wish."

"I haven't got time to listen to house-elves! Anyway, that's not the only one! He blew up his aunt, for God's sake!"

Ichigo looked questioningly at Harry, who flushed in shame.

"And you very kindly did not press charges on that occasion, accepting, I presume, that even the best wizards cannot always control their emotions." Dumbledore responded.

_'So magic can be channeled with emotions, like reiatsu?'_ Ichigo questioned. No one answered him.

"And I haven't even started on what he gets up to at school—"

"—but as the Ministry has no authority to punish Hogwarts students for misdemeanors at school, Harry's behavior there is not relevant," Dumbledore interrupted.

"Oho! Not our business what he does at school, eh? You think so?" Fudge exclaimed. There was something off about the way he said it, like as if accepting a challenge.

"The Ministry does not have the power to expel Hogwarts students, Cornelius, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August. Nor does it have the right to confiscate wands until charges have been successfully proven, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August. In your admirable haste to ensure that the law is upheld, you appear, inadvertently I am sure, to have overlooked a few laws yourself."

"Laws can be changed!" Fudge snarled.

Ichigo looked up sharply at Fudge. If the obvious corruption of the Wizengamot (Umbridge) hadn't pissed him off enough, he wouldn't be surprised if Toshiro or Rukia could feel his angry reiatsu right about now, even all the way from Grimmauld Place.

When Aizen had betrayed the Seireitei, it was the Central 46's monopolizing power that allowed him to go undetected but at the same time manipulate every thing, even Rukia's execution.

That was why, when Central 46 was reformed after Aizen's defeat at the hands of Ichigo himself and Hat 'n' Clogs, the Captains were given the power to override their decisions if all of the captains agreed unanimously. And the noble houses became a third power in case Central 46 and the Captains were at odds, the tiebreaker, if you will.

So when this bastard, Fudge, said 'laws can be changed,' it annoyed Ichigo to no end. The Ministry was clearly a monopolized government with no equalizing counterpart, like the former Central 46, before Aizen slaughtered all of them. At least one good thing came of Aizen's betrayal.

"Of course they can," Dumbledore replied to Fudge, unaware that Ichigo was fuming silently next to him under a mask of emotionlessness that Byakuya would be proud of, "And you certainly seem to be making many changes, Cornelius. Why, in the few short weeks since I was asked to leave the Wizengamot, it has already become the practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic!"

Savage amusement filled Ichigo. He should stay out of this and watch Dumbledore verbally slaughter Fudge. Let the Minister of Magic get what was coming to him.

"As far as I am aware, however," Dumbledore continued, "there is no law yet in place that says this court's job is to punish Harry for every bit of magic he has ever preformed. He has been charged with a specific offense and he has presented his defense. All he and I can do now is await your verdict."

Ichigo immediately felt guilty. He'd completely forgotten about Harry, though his anger had stemmed from the unfairness that Harry was being treated with.

He let none of those emotions show on his face, though. After a while of training with Stealth Force operatives, you learn not to let your intentions show on your face. If you do, you're dead. That was a lesson that Soifon and Yoruichi had gleefully beaten into him years ago.

In the ensuing murmuring the Wizengamot, Ichigo idly sifted through the reiatsu of people he wanted to remember: Fudge, Umbridge, Percy Weasley, Harry, Madam Bones, Dumbledore…this way he could recognize their spiritual signatures easily.

Surprise emanated from Zangetsu, who was still lurking in the back of Ichigo's mind.

**_'That boy, Harry Potter,'_** Ichigo heard Zangetsu's voice exclaim.

Ichigo went back to Harry's reiatsu. For the briefest moment he felt what had shocked Zangetsu: the boy had two reiatsu signatures. One of them radiated nervousness right now, that must be Harry's, but the other was dark and oily. It was weak and strong at the same time, as if it were overall a part of something stronger. An oily black reiraku trailed from Harry to somewhere outside the Ministry.

Strange. Human reiraku were white, Shinigami were red, but only Hollows or Arrancar had black reiraku.

"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" Madam Bones' voice broke into his thoughts.

Ichigo looked up.

More than half of the hands were raised.

* * *

_reiraku: spirit ribbons_

_Kohaku: amber_

_Senbonzakura: Thousand Cherry Blossoms (Byakuya's zanpakut__ō_)  


_Suzumebachi: Hornet (Soifon's zanpakut__ō_)  


_Getsuga Tenshou: Heaven-Shocking Moon Fang (Ichigo's signature technique)  
_

* * *

_fokker333:_ Yep. I was wondering how many people were going to look up "Kohaku" (for you people who didn't look it up, it means "amber").

_Mikami92:_ I know about "Los" and "Las" but "Las Días" is a pun on "Las Noches" so…screw grammar. :D

_killroy225:_ I…can't tell you that. However, I _will_ say that suspicions will arise.

_3Alaska3:_ …Okay…okay…I'm updating…

_Ali-Kun:_ Why do I always get the crazies? *glances back at 3Alaska3* Though…I really shouldn't be talking.

_pucflek:_ Actually, Barragan would be pretty hard to defeat without certain techniques. Think about this: How would Ichigo and the others counter a technique that rots anything it touches, even energy attacks like Getsuga Tenshous or Ceros…?

_ Um. hi:_ Some wouldn't have believed in Shinigami, but Voldemort had them in the First War (just a few rogue Shinigami), although some could discount them as humans, because none of _them_ were seated officer level. But I'll get to that in a different chapter. But you're right: fear of the unknown.

_Sypher14:_ How am I going to add in Umbridge? I'll hint it in the next chapter; let's see if you can figure it out.

_arandomreviewer:_ Should I add Kenpachi?…I wasn't originally going to…but I've thought of ways for him to make an appearance. A Kenpacolypse may be in order. Maybe.

_o-WinterQueen-o:_ Can't answer your questions _now_…but it probably won't take them long to put two and two together. Probably. ;)

_Guest:_ Not soon, but I was planning on bringing in some Captains in when the snake (Nagini) attacks Mr. Weasley. And, of course, Yoruichi and Grimmjow will come in a few chapters.

_NTFTH:_ That is an excellent, and plausible, reason. I think I'm going to use it, thank you.

_Morte Cacciatore:_ I'm sorry to hear you don't feel well.

_witchsoul531:_ No, Toshiro's Bankai is not complete. It will have more techniques, and be closer to being complete, but it will not fully be complete. I forget which episode/OVA/movie, but I'm fairly sure Toshiro or someone said that it will take several centauries for him to reach his full potential, and it's only been one centaury.

_thingofmyth:_ Grimmkitty and Nel are awesome, you're right! Unfortunately, I need Umbridge for my plot (that sounds weird out of context), but she'll get what's coming to her. The bitch. As for Ichigo…He's flinching in the same way someone will flinch like if someone verbally assaults you (like the way you'll say "Ouch!" when you're going to get injured, even if you never actually get hit?) or that's the best way I can explain it. Besides, with the limiter and the gigai, and the fact he doesn't want to hurt the Aurors, he's in a pretty sticky situation. BTW, I'm glad you go into detail when you critique, it helps me write better to know what other people think. (And I read your second review, which is why I'm not addressing your other question, since you seem to have found your answer.)

_DGtnsl:_ Arthur's being decidedly unprejudiced, good for him. And the wizarding children? Of course they'll investigate, it's what they _do_. I was considering having the wizards drawn into the battle. And yes, Szayel is alive. I'll show how they all survived in chapter 10. This chapter 8. One more to go before I explain all of that.

_Mathlete64:_ Sorry, Umbridge only has like one speaking line. Ichigo couldn't "obliterate" her. But because he couldn't let off steam, just wait until they get to Hogwarts. :D

_deathbykitsune:_ I was originally putting them both in Gryffindor. BUT, I changed my mind. Ulquiorra will probably make an appearance, maybe not soon, though.

_akinos: _I'm planning on making my OCs just powerful enough to give them a bit of a hard time, but not much stronger than that. And about the teaching, yeah, Ichi won't be happy with the textbook at all. Due to his personality, he'll probably teach them at least semi-truth.

_Millie M. Banshee:_ I'm so glad you read my story! You're one of my favorite authors! *sparkles*

_Cloudedguardian:_ Thank you! And about the funny comments, I wrote a death scene once for my friend on her request. She read it and _laughed_ even though it was about her death. I can't write anything serious without cracking a few jokes.

_Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter:_ No, it wasn't, actually. I just figured it was weird enough for Diagon Alley. If it was in a Harry Potter video game, apparently I was right.

_Phantom Claire:_ I don't speak French. I needed my mother to translate this. In answer to your question, or what I think your question is, "witness for defense" isn't necessarily someone who was there. They can be sort of like a lawyer, too.

_Guest:_ I know! *grins* You read my mind. He's looks evil, in what with his giant cleaver, Bankai cloak, Tensa Zangetsu's black blade and chain, his Hollow mask and the FGT was just screamed "dark overlord" or something. But inside he's a strawberry~!


	10. 9 Guess What? Explanation Time Again!

**_Me:_**** I know you're probably going to kill me for this…all of you. The conversation between Dumbledore, Fudge, Ichigo and Umbridge will be revealed later on, kay?  
**

**_Sandira:_**** SSKA does not own Bleach or Harry Potter. Nor have I killed her yet.**

**_Me:_ HAPPY NEW YEARS! And if you're confused about the chapter, go to the bottom and ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED.  
**

* * *

**_Last chapter:_**

_"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" Madam Bones' voice broke into his thoughts._

_Ichigo looked up._

_More than half of the hands were raised._

* * *

9. Guess what? Explanation time again (for the last time...hopefully)!

**_~Harry~_**

Harry felt immense relief wash through him. As the Wizengamot began to file out, he saw Dumbledore make a quick exit.

Harry was disappointed—he'd wanted to talk to Dumbledore. He saw Ichigo hurry after Dumbledore. Great, more people who he wanted to talk to disappearing.

Unsure of whether or not he should leave, Harry inched towards the door, and when no one called him back, he slipped through the double doors.

Mr. Weasley looked worried, "Well? Dumbledore and Ichigo didn't say."

Harry grinned, "Cleared of all charges!"

* * *

_**~Ichigo~**_

An hour later, Ichigo followed Dumbledore out of Fudge's office, scowling about the conversation that had taken place inside. Damn that pink, toad-like, annoying, bitchy woman...

Dumbledore, however, seemed rather cheery about the whole thing.

"Dumbledore, is there somewhere we could talk in private?" Ichigo said suddenly. Dumbledore had a right to know that a crazy ass person was probably coming to London (A.K.A. Grimmjow).

"Of course, we can go to my office in Hogwarts. That is quite secure." Dumbledore replied happily.

* * *

Ichigo sank comfortably into an armchair that rested in front of Dumbledore's desk. Much better than having to stand up during Captain's Meetings.

**'Kuro, if you let me out, you could introduce me to Dumbledore-jii~!'**

_'No, Shiro,'_ Ichigo replied immediately.

**_'Ichigo, I believe it is a good idea. Dumbledore would probably see it as a act of__ trust.'_ **Zangetsu spoke up.

_'...Fine, but only after I explain about the Arrancar and Grimmjow. And Yoruichi, of course.'_

"Professor Kurosaki, what would you like to talk about?" Dumbledore asked.

"I would like to continue our conversation from before," Ichigo began, "I explained about Hollows in general, and the Gotei 13 in general. However, considering that it is not regular Hollows that are attacking London, but Arrancar, I felt that I should continue my explanation."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding, and gestured for Ichigo to continue.

"First, I'd like to explain the Evolution of Hollows," Ichigo said. "There are two types of Hollows: regular Hollows and Menos Grande. When a soul becomes a Hollow, they start off as a regular Hollow. However, as they devour souls, and even other Hollows, they become stronger. When a Hollow has eaten enough souls, its spirit energy becomes too great for it to control in its current form, and in order to keep from destroying itself with its own power, it has to evolve."

Dumbledore laced his fingers together and rested his head on them, highly interested.

"The Menos Grande is a term used for all Hollows who have evolved," Ichigo said, "and is divided into three subtypes: Gillian, Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde. Gillian is the least powerful, and is the first stage of Menos Grande. All Gillian look exactly the same, and live in the Menos Forest of Hueco Mundo."

"Hueco Mundo?"

"Right. Soul Society is where the Gotei 13, and the afterlife, reside. It is essentially 'Heaven.'"

"So would this 'Hueco Mundo' be Hell?"

"No. There is already a Hell. Hollows do not live in hell. Only those who have committed horrible and unforgivable sins are sent to Hell. Hueco Mundo would be closer to what you call...Purgatory, or Limbo. It's a vast desert in eternal night, but below the desert is the Menos Forest, where stone trees that are easily five times the size of your tallest buildings hold up the ceiling of sand."

"You speak as if you have been there," Dumbledore commented.

Ichigo frowned, "I have been there. I went there...to rescue a friend." A slightly nostalgic look formed on Ichigo's face, "I remember the Menos Forest very well. And poor Ashido, who gave his life to save ours."

Ichigo shook himself. "But we were talking about Menos Grande. Most Gillian, due to the fact that they are made up of hundreds of souls, have no dominant personality, and are entirely instinctual. However, occasionally, a soul with a particularly strong personality will force their way to the surface of the Gillian's consciousness, for lack of a better way of describing it. If this happens, the Gillian becomes...unique. Uniqueness is rare among Gillian as they are all supposed to remain the same. Without exception, all unique Gillian become cannibalistic. They eat only other Gillian, until they reach the point where they need to evolve again. And then they become Adjuchas."

"So then Adjuchas is the second stage of Menos Grande?" Dumbledore interrupted.

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. When a Hollow becomes an Adjuchas, they become more humane, though they still are very animal-like, in appearance as well as actions. Some Adjuchas will even hunt and travel in packs, like wolves. Adjuchas will leave the Menos Forest and live in the desert. Some Adjuchas will stay in the Menos Forest, but it is rare."

"So when an Adjuchas becomes powerful enough it will evolve into a Vasto Lorde?" Dumbledore asked. He was catching on quickly.

"Yes, however there is one thing Adjuchas fear more above all else." Ichigo replied.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "Would that be you Shinigami?"

"No." Ichigo replied. He remembered what Grimmjow had once told him about Regression after a sparring session in Las Noches, after the Winter War...

_Even though we were the kings of the desert, the most feared pack of Hollows, afraid of nothing...we were afraid. And we were not the only ones afraid of It. Every Adjuchas there ever was...and every Adjuchas that ever will be...we are always afraid of Regression. Sometimes, though I hate the bastard, I feel almost grateful to Aizen...by turning us into Arrancar, he not only gave us more power...but he took away our constant fear of never becoming Adjuchas again._

"Regression. That's what they're afraid of." Ichigo continued, "Adjuchas hunt other Adjuchas, and live by the code 'Only the Strongest Will Survive.' But if an Adjuchas goes too long without eating another Adjuchas, they will Regress, and turn back into Gillian. But there will be one difference: once they become a Gillian the second time, they will never be able to become Adjuchas again."

"They're afraid of losing their power," Dumbledore commented.

"And their ability to consciously think. If they Regress, they become mindless beasts. And, to be truthful, not all Hollows are bloodthirsty. They eat to survive, much like humans and Shinigami, but some of them are actually not all _that_ bad."

**'Awww...King, I'm touched~.'**

_'I'm never repeating that ever again, so don't get used to it.'_

Ichigo cleared his throat, "_Anyway,_ the final stage of Menos Grande: Vasto Lorde. According to R&D, a grand total of 57 Vasto Lorde have ever existed. Ever. That's how rare they are. A Vasto Lorde is the most powerful type of Hollow. They are so powerful that even Captain-class Shinigami like myself have problems dealing with them. I have the pleasure of being allied to a few of the not completely horrible Vasto Lorde, let's see..."

Ichigo began ticking off names on his hands, "_Ulquiorra,_ he tried to kill me, but to be fair, I almost killed him to. _Starrk,_ is extremely lazy and I was surprised to find out he is probably one of the most powerful Vasto Lorde in existence. _Harribel_, I suppose she's not all that bad, though I've never really gotten to know her. _Shiro_, no comment, because he's a psychopath, but I'm stuck with him. I don't know if they actually count as Vasto Lorde though, to be perfectly honest. Three of them are Arrancar, and Shiro is an Inner Hollow."

**'...I resent the term _psychopath._'**

_'Yeah? Well you resemble the term, too.'_

**'Touché.'  
**

"Arrancar? Inner Hollow?" Dumbledore asked.

Ichigo nodded. "An Arrancar, or _Broken Mask_, is a Hollow that has transcended the normal boundaries of Hollows to partially gain Shinigami powers. This process is called Shinigamification. Part of their mask is broken, and they become humanoid. The only differences in appearance from a human and an Arrancar is that they retain their Hollow hole, and a fragment of their mask. Arrancar also are able to manifest their previous powers as a Hollow into a blade—a zanpakutō. When they release their zanpakutō's power, they become a humanoid version of their previous Hollow appearance. They regain all of the techniques they had previously, but they also gain new ones that are only accessible to them, and are completely unique to their own Resurreción. Before you ask, a Resurreción is what the released form of an Arrancar is called."

"And what about Inner Hollow?" Dumbledore prompted.

"A Vizard is the opposite of an Arrancar," Ichigo began, "they are a Shinigami who has transcended the boundaries of a Shinigami and gained Hollow powers. I have no idea what it feels for a Hollow to become part Shinigami, but for a Shinigami to become a Hollow...is painful beyond words. When a normal soul becomes a Hollow, they evaporate, and reform as a Hollow elsewhere. For the most part painless, with the exception of the making of the mask, which is always the most painful part. However, a Shinigami's soul is resistant to becoming a Hollow...and the mask forms before anything else. To feel your heart disappearing, and fighting for it back...all the while feeling your instincts become primal and extremely sensitive...it's horrible."

Ichigo closed his eyes, for a moment going back to more than a century ago...when he first became a Vizard. He remembered Shattered Shaft, Urahara's calm voice telling him he had 72 hours, the feeling of his Inga no Kusari being Eroded, the horror he felt when the final Erosion came, the utter pain he felt as liquid mask formed on his face...

He opened his eyes, and continued in a stronger voice, "Hollowfication. That's what it's called. There are only 9 Vizards in the entire world, and that's hopefully all there will ever be. I wouldn't wish a Hollow Mask on anyone, despite the power it brings."

"9 Vizards? Do you know who they all are?" Dumbledore questioned.

Ichigo nodded, "1, Shinji Hirako, unofficial leader of the Masked Army—which is what the Vizards call the group they belong to. 2, Hiyori Sarugaki, vicious little girl that she is, you don't want to get on her bad side. 3, Kensei Muguruma, he was one of the first to be Hollowfied. 4, Mashiro Kuna, she is able to keep her mask on for 15 hours without losing her sanity, a impressive feat. 5, Lisa Yadōmaru, honestly the most perverted girl I've ever met. 6, Hachigen Ushōda, master of barriers and other Demon Arts. He's one of the most skilled in that area of abilities. 7, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, also known as Rose, he loves to dramatize everything. 8, Love Aikawa, I don't what I can say about him except that he's probably Rose's best friend."

Ichigo stopped here. Dumbledore was a clever man. He'd realize that Ichigo had left one out, especially since he'd be numbering them.

"And number 9?" Dumbledore prodded.

"9, Ichigo Kurosaki, Captain of the Fifth Division, only one of the Vizards with a friendship with his Inner Hollow."

Dumbledore looked vaguely surprised, but didn't interrupt.

"Not that they wouldn't mind being friends with their Inner Hollows, but the difference is, they became Vizards because a traitor used a powerful artifact called the Hōgyoku to merge them with other Hollows, whereas I became a Vizard when I gained my Shinigami powers, because the idiot who trained me combined Shinigamification and Hollowfication. I became a Shinigami, but my instincts became a Hollow. I am literally half Shinigami, half Hollow. Vizards and Arrancar are still Shinigami and Hollows respectively, they have only gained Hollow and Shinigami _powers_, once again respectively."

"Where is your Hollow?" Dumbledore asked, looking around as if a monster might appear at any moment.

"I can bring him out if you want. He said he'd like to meet you—as a gesture of trust."

Dumbledore looked caught halfway between wary and curious. Finally, curiosity won over, and he nodded.

Ichigo brought out Kon's pill, and as he prepared to eat it, and said as way of explanation, "This is a Mod Soul pill. I'm in a fake body right now, so I need a fake soul to take my place in this fake body temporarily."

Ichigo felt the familiar sensation of his soul leaving his gigai, and saw Kon move to lean against the wall behind him. Ichigo shrugged off Zangetsu, showing off his zanpakutō. It wasn't often he got to utterly impress someone with the size of Zangetsu.

_'Alright, Shiro. You can come out.'_

**'Yay~!'** Shiro exclaimed, similar to the way a kid would exclaim "Yay," if his or her parents said they could go to the zoo.

_'You want out too, Zangetsu?'_

_**'I'm**** fine here,'**_ the sword replied evenly._  
_

Ichigo moved aside as his double materialized behind him.

**"Hey, Kuro, d'ya want me to speak Japanese or English?"** the Hollow asked in his layered voice as he surveyed the room.

"English, and remember to behave, Shiro," Ichigo snapped.

"Yer no fun, Kuro," Shiro whined.

Ichigo frowned at the Hollow, "And _you're_ immature. The majority of the time you act like a crazed six-year-old on a sugar rush."

"Seven-year-old," the Hollow sniffed, seemingly offended.

"Because that's _much_ better," Ichigo shot back.

"What 'bout Zanny-ossan?"

"Considering how highly destructive Zangetsu is in the right hands, I think that makes me _more_ worried." Ichigo replied.

"I don' scowl all da time," Shiro argued.

"_I_ don't grin like a bloodthirsty psychopath," Ichigo deadpanned.

"I _am_ a bloodthirsty psychopath," Shiro finished triumphantly, grinning widely.

The two Captain's banter seemed to have put Dumbledore at ease with the Hollow's presence, which had been Ichigo's intention.

"So, Dumbledore-san, this is my Inner Hollow, Shiro. He's a Vasto Lord class Hollow."

Shiro bowed mockingly, "Ogichi Shirosaki."

Dumbledore got up and returned the bow, "Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore."

Shiro looked temporarily at a loss for words, prompting Ichigo to smirk.

Ichigo looked at Dumbledore, "By the way, jii-san, I thought you should know that an Arrancar is coming to London soon. He's on our side, his name is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He has light blue hair, his Hollow hole is in his abdomen, and his Hollow mask is a jawbone on the right side of his face. I just...thought you should know." Ichigo repeated.

Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you for telling me. Does your Arrancar friend have anywhere to stay?"

"No, I wasn't even expecting him to come here, but an informant of mine sent word ahead."

"As long as he lays low, I can allow him to stay here," Dumbledore said.

Ichigo nodded, "Arigatou, jii-san." He looked at Shiro, "Alright, Shiro. I let you come out, now it's time to go back for a while."

Shiro pouted, but nodded, dissolving into various spirit particles.

Kon, who had been unusually silent—probably due to the lack of beautiful women—approached Ichigo, and Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu and stepped back into his body, expertly catching the gikongan as it popped out of his mouth.

"I'll see you again, Dumbledore-san," Ichigo said. Then, as he was about to leave, he turned around again, "How do I get back to Grimmauld Place?"

* * *

_Gikongan: Artificial Soul Pill_

_Resurreción: Spanish for "Resurrection"  
_

_Arigatou: Thank you  
_

* * *

_**Me: **_**And, to clarify, Harry and Mr. Weasley left the Ministry like in canon, but Dumbledore and Ichigo left quickly. They were stopped by Fudge and Umbridge, who wanted to talk with them. They had a conversation, like mentioned in the chapter, that left Ichigo scowling. Then, Ichigo and Dumbledore went to the Headmaster's Office where Ichigo explained the Evolution of Hollows, Arrancar and Vizards. This will be the LAST explanatory talk between Ichigo and Dumbledore.  
**

**_Sandira:_ And the next chapter is mostly flashbacks, but, upon popular request, it is going to explain the backstory thoroughly.  
**

**_Me:_ Backstory isn't a word.  
**

**_Sandira:_ IT IS NOW.  
**

**_Me: _At least you aren't trying to kill me anymore. Wasn't that your New Years Resolution?  
**

**_Sandira:_ Let's see how long it lasts.  
**

* * *

_3Alaska3:_ Kyoraku, huh? Thanks for that tidbit of knowledge. And…HOLY CRAP YOU'RE INSANE! Not that I appreciate you any less…after all, there are very few people of Fanfiction who aren't insane.

_YellowWomanontheBrink:_ I was originally planning on having Grimmjow crash the hearing, but then I'm like "…too much change, too soon."

_Ali-Kun:_ It's okay. And Toshiro will pretty much have his own chapter soon, or at least it mostly focuses on him.

_SimplyFalling211:_ Thank you, but you shouldn't interrupt your cheerleading practice for little old me~. Not that I'm not touched.

_o-WinterQueen-o:_If I gave you a straight answer, it wouldn't be as fun. (Yeah, I have noticed that J. K. Rowling gives her most hated characters names that are easy to mess around with.) Moldymort, Dumbitch…~

_ultima-owner:_ Simple, but true.

_Grisia:_ Who doesn't love Shiro? About the romance: I've promise IchiRuki and HitsuKarin but it's mostly going to be hinted until the right moment come up. THERE IS A REASON WHY THE SECOND GENRE IS NOT ROMANCE. Ahem. Yeah, Fudge would probably die at a Captain's Meeting but I guess we'll find—_*Sandira covers mouth*_

**_Sandira:_**** NO SPOILERS.**

**_Me:_**** MMMMMEERRRFFFGH!**

**_Sandira:_**** …Good point.**

**_Me:_**** Mmmph?**

**_Sandira:_**** No.**

**_Me:_**** Mmerg.**

_pucflek:_ No, he's not the _strongest_, but his ability kicks ass.

_Pernshinigami:_ If you write a HP/Bleach Xover, I'd read it.

_Millie M. Banshee:_ I like to sparkle.

_Stryk123:_ One Captain would be enough to OBILTERATE Fudge.

_Morte Cacciatore:_ I'm glad to hear that!

_Cloudedguardian:_ *hugs back* I like hugs~.

_Hebi R:_ That…is an excellent way to describe it. YOU SIR/MADAM, DESERVE A GOLD STAR. *gives gold star*

_Byakusharinnegan:_ Good for you~!

_Mathlete64:_ Guess what? You have to wait quite a while to find out (for sure) what's up with Harry.

_thingofmyth:_ Keep Grimmkitty under control? What fun is that?

_La:_ 1) No, they're all in gigai, Ichigo used Kon to get out of his body so he could check out the Arrancar reiatsu. Ichigo's in his gigai again. 2) 116 years old. One hundred years after the Winter War, and Ichigo was almost 16 by the end, so…yeah. 3) No, they're not married. I wish they were…*pauses* wait a minute, I'm the author~! Lol. Okay. Pairings: HitsuKarin, (hinted for now) IchiRuki, HarribelXStarrk, RenHime and…canon


	11. 10 Remembrances

**_Me:_**** Ano~, gomenasai. As pointed out to me, I probably shouldn't have used an entire chapter to explain Arrancar/Vizards. But even if you know about Bleach, the Vizard part contained something that I only guessed at, and probably isn't canon. It's the difference between Shiro and the other Inner Hollows.**

**_Sandira:_**** So, this explains the Shinigami's side of the backstory, along with some of the Espada's. The backstory for Las Días will be told, maybe in parts throughout, or maybe in one fell swoop.**

**_Me:_**** RUKIA GETS HER OWN CHAPPY SOON!**

**_Rukia:_**** Chappy?! Where?!**

**_Me:_**** Sorry, I meant chapter. ^_^"**

**_Rukia:_**** *demonic aura* I. Want. CHAPPY!**

**_Me:_**** O_O**

**_Sandira:_**** SSKA does not own Bleach in any shape or form.**

* * *

10. Remembrances

**_~Toshiro~_**

Toshiro heard the commotion downstairs as Harry returned, and he heard the Weasley twins, Ginny and Rukia start chanting, "HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF!"

But he made no move to join them.

He preferred the solitude of the Black library.

He wondered where Kurosaki was: had the brash Captain gotten into a fight?

His hand moved subconsciously towards his shoulder…if he were to remove his shirt, there would be a large, jagged scar there. Where Aizen had struck him down in Central 46's chambers, and then reopened the same wound in the final fight at Fake Karakura.

Aizen…

* * *

_Toshiro looked on in disgust as Aizen turned his blade on one of his own subordinates._

_"Aizen-sama," the Tercera Espada gasped, "why?"_

_The traitorous man said nothing, merely looking at her with such kindness in his eyes that Toshiro wanted to stab the man through and through. How dare he look so calm after he betrayed someone who had fought with her life for him!_

_And then from behind the pseudo-god, suddenly, there was a crack in the sky. It was a Garganta, was it reinforcements for the former Captain? No—Kurosaki! The human boy lashed out at Aizen: firing off a strong Getsuga Tenshou._

_But no—something was wrong…Aizen was completely unharmed._

_From behind Ichigo, Unohana-taicho quickly left the Garganta, leaving to tend to the fallen Vizard girl and many others. Behind her, Kotetsu-fukutaicho followed, along with Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho._

_Toshiro flew closer to the battle, angling his icy wings to land on half-fallen building very close to the now-closing Garganta._

_Kurosaki was their last hope—if the human boy saw Aizen's Shikai, they were all done for. Canceling his Bankai for greater agility, Toshiro Shunpo'd in front of Kurosaki._

_"Kurosaki, stand back, I can't allow you to see Aizen's zanpakutō," Toshiro said._

_"Toshiro?"_

_"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you," Toshiro snapped out of habit. He could feel Kurosaki's smirk burning into the back of his head. "And wipe that smirk off your face."_

_"Tch," Kurosaki replied._

_Toshiro felt other reiatsu surround him and Kurosaki._

_Soifon-taicho. Kyoraku-taicho. Komamura-taicho. Four of the Vizards that he would later learn were Shinji, Rose, Love and Lisa. And…Urahara, Yoruichi and a man Toshiro had never thought he would see again._

* * *

(CUE FLASHBACK WITHIN THE FLASHBACK)

_"GOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING NEW RECRUITS!"_

_Toshiro leapt quickly out of bed, landing in a crouch. Behind him, he heard an "oof," as the recruit in the bunk next to his wasn't as quick and was landed on by their assailant._

_Toshiro turned around, exasperated, to see the leader of his division: Isshin Kurosaki-taicho._

(END FLASHBACK WITHIN THE FLASHBACK)

* * *

_"Dad?" Kurosaki questioned, looking at the man with something akin to awe on his face._

_Isshin barely spared his a glance, but smiled anyway._

_"We'll be talking about this later," Kurosaki hissed, so only Isshin and Toshiro heard._

_"I wouldn't expect anything less!" Isshin cried happily._

_Toshiro noticed Gin Ichimaru slink away from the battleground, but had no idea what the fox face was planning. But Aizen was the priority either way. He'd pay for everything he'd done:_

_To Toshiro._

_To Soul Society._

_To the World of the Living._

_TO MOMO!_

* * *

_As the battle began, Urahara was surprisingly the first to attack, restraining Aizen with some new Kidō never seen before, undoubtedly developed for the sole purpose of battling Aizen._

_Even though Aizen effortlessly broke free and knocked Urahara aside as though he were a flea, the former Captain merely smiled. The conniving scientist had been planning something, though at time none of them had known._

_Yoruichi and Soifon-taicho quickly followed up on Urahara's attack, using a mix of Hakuda, Shunpo and their Shunkō technique to knock him around for a bit, before Aizen merely got up again._

_After a while, both Kurosakis joined the fray, raging on the battleground as only a Kurosaki could._

_Toshiro himself confronted Aizen quite a few times, but was caught off guard when Aizen unleashed the Hōgyoku's power to undergo a cheap transformation and grow a freakin' mullet. _

_Unfortunately, that cheap trick/mullet brought Aizen more than enough power._

* * *

_Toshiro heard others screaming his name as Aizen cut through ice, flesh and bone. He felt his wings give away, and the last ice flower on his back finally crumbled._

**_'MASTER!'_**

_He heard Hyōrinmaru's cry, but what could he do? He had been cut down._

_"Gomenasai…mina…"_

_He had let them down. They still had a fighting chance, though. Everyone was trying their absolute hardest to defeat Aizen: no one was holding back, and injuries ceased to matter._

_He heard a ripping noise, and, as he fell to ground, he glimpsed a Garganta opening: Kuchiki-taicho, Zaraki-taicho, Kurotsuchi-taicho, Kusajishi-fukutaicho, Abarai-fukutaicho, Kuchiki, Ishida, Sado and Inoue…and, to his surprise, there were several of the Arrancar._

_They could still win…! And everything faded to black._

* * *

Toshiro had been unconscious during the remainder of the battle, but he knew just as well as anyone who had been there what had happened.

In Hueco Mundo, as the Shinigami first confronted Aizen, Inoue-san had finished healing everyone. However, due to something Unohana-taicho had said before she, Kotetsu-fukutaicho and Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho followed Ichigo Kurosaki, she had insisted to heal one of the Privaron Espada that Sado had fought.

This lead to her healing quite a few of the Arrancar, and, somehow, they'd managed to create a sort of temporary treaty.

Due to Ulquiorra's newfound "heart", Grimmjow's newfound respect for Kurosaki, and Nel's desire to repay Kurosaki for protecting her, it was rather easy, considering that those were the most important Arrancar still in Las Noches.

Ulquiorra had opened a Garganta to Fake Karakura and they arrived in time to see Soifon-taicho and I getting struck down. By then, Yoruichi, Komamura-taicho, Lisa, Rose and Love had already fallen.

Aizen had not expected his Espada to betray him, so he was temporarily distracted.

As he was distracted, Ichimaru released his Bankai (Kamishini no Yari) and struck Aizen from behind.

Urahara had taken this chance to steal the Hōgyoku from Aizen and destroy it.

_"Most people would have found it next to impossible to destroy it,"_ Toshiro remembered Urahara's words later on, _"but, as the creator, I happened to know the entire structure of the Hōgyoku, and it was child's play to figure out how to destroy it."_

Unfortunately, even without the Hōgyoku, Aizen was powerful, and he had already started evolving. Though without the Hōgyoku he couldn't evolve as completely, he had absorbed more than enough of the Hōgyoku's power before its destruction.

Inoue and Unohana, meanwhile, were healing everyone who had fallen: Shinigami or Arrancar or Vizard.

As the battle raged on, Hisagi-fukutaicho, Kensei Muguruma, Kira-fukutaicho, Coyote Starrk & Lilynette, Tier Harribel, Rangiku and Harribel's Fracción joined the attack on Aizen. They had all been healed by Inoue and Unohana.

Harribel was furious at Aizen's betrayal, and, by extension, so were her Fracción.

According to Kurosaki, they fought like demons.

Coyote Starrk had, for once in his life, actually fought with gusto. Even when he fought Kyoraku-taicho, Love, Rose and Ukitake-taicho, he had held back and remain calm. However, Starrk was enraged as well by Aizen's betrayal, and instead of fighting with only Lilynette, he was fighting with comrades: even if they were only temporary. That had also encouraged him to go all out.

Little did anyone know, the longer they fought, the closer Aizen came to defeat, thanks to Urahara's Kidō.

Finally, Aizen released his next form (quote from Kurosaki: "A FREAKING BUTTERFLY!"), and the participants of the battle fought with a renewed passion, getting cut down one after the other.

Aizen called them fools, and prepared to release his final form when Urahara's Kidō took effect.

By this time, the only ones left were Ichigo, Urahara, Starrk, Harribel, Ulquiorra and Unohana, though all of them were injured—heavily or not. The Head Captain had been incapacitated a while ago using Ittō Kasō to try to kill Aizen.

Urahara's Kidō surprised them all, with the exception of Urahara himself. After Aizen's defeat, Urahara had told Toshiro in a joking manner that they all had had expressions that reminded him of asphyxiating fishes.

Aizen had cursed them—cursed them all, but mainly Urahara and Ichigo, who he felt were responsible.

* * *

After Aizen was sealed, they healed and worked out a more permanent treaty with Las Noches and the Masked Army, with Ichigo being the main go-between.

The Head Captain had cleared Yoruichi, Tessai, Urahara and Isshin of any charges (being it human experimentation, aiding convicted criminals or deserting Soul Society) and invited them back to the Seireitei.

Ichigo was made an official Shinigami: when Urahara had told Tessai to sever Ichigo's Chain of Fate, they had effectively killed him, but Ichigo didn't really care that he was officially dead. Really, no one had cared much.

What people HAD cared about is when the Head Captain announced that he wanted Ichigo to succeed Aizen as the Captain of the Fifth Division. There had been an uproar, but of course anyone who had actually met Ichigo didn't disagree. And because _all_ of the Captains had seen Ichigo in action, he hadn't even had to take the Captain's Examination. They had all recommended him (even Toshiro himself), much to the Head Captain's amusement.

After Ichigo's well-deserved appointment, the Soul Society had held a trial for Aizen, who was still sealed in Urahara's Kidō. Needless to say, he was found guilty, and sentenced to execution. None of them wanted to kill him in cold blood, but he was too dangerous to be kept alive, and no one could say that the bastard didn't deserve it.

Later on, after the celebration of Aizen's defeat and Aizen's execution, the Head Captain ended up promoting Rukia and Renji to Captain positions, but not until a few decades later, by which time Rukia had gained Bankai using Urahara's method (though it had still taken her a few weeks, not the few days it had taken Ichigo).

* * *

Toshiro stopped rubbing his shoulder's scar. Yes, Aizen was gone. But the scars he left behind would never fade.

* * *

_**~Ichigo~**_

Ichigo was walking through the corridors of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had invited him to explore Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds while he himself finished "very important work." Which probably meant naps, Ichigo decided. Old people were weird like that—did he just insult himself?

Ichigo paused.

"I think I did insult myself," he commented aloud. He paused, listening to the soft echo his voice caused. "I shouldn't talk to myself."

And then something exploded on the back of his head.

"THE HELL—?" he screeched.

He brought a hand up to his hair, and smelled the gooey stuff now on his hand..."Raw egg?"

"LOOKS LIKE PEEVSIE DOESN'T NEED TO WAIT FOR THE ITTLE-BITTY FIRST YEARS!"

* * *

_Hōgyoku: _Crumbling Orb (an artifact used for desire manifestation)

_Tercera: _Spanish for "Third"

_Shikai:_ First Release

_Bankai:_ Final Release

_Hakuda:_ hand-to-hand combat

_Shunkō:_ Flash Cry (Yoruichi and Soifon's special technique/a mix of Hakuda and Kidō)

_Kamishini no Yari:_ God-Killing Spear (Ichimaru's Bankai)

_Fracción:_ Spanish for "Fraction"

_mina: _everyone

_Ittō Kasō: _Single Blade Cremation (a Kidō technique requiring a sacrifice from the caster)

* * *

_thingofmyth:_It'd be no fun if Grimmkitty wasn't insane at points in time. And you're right! Dumbledore's reaction is lacking because he's Dumbledore. Anyone else would've freaked.

_deathbykitsune:_ Yeah, looking back, that was NOT a good idea on my part.

_o-WinterQueen-o:_ What Toad and Idiot wanted will be revealed at the Hogwarts' Feast/the Sorting in a flashback. I love flashbacks. *flashback* _I don't wanna write about it now…but I gotta update…hey, I know! Flashbacks!_ *flashback end* ^_^

_killroy225:_ Starrk, Lilynette, Barragan, some of Barragan's Fracción, Harribel, Harribel's Fracción, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, Tesra, Grimmjow, Szayel Aporro and Yammy. The rest of them are OCs that recently became Arrancar/were already Arrancar and became stronger.

_Grisia:_ I already answered you through PM, I just wanted to include you in these things…

_Deamonslater576:_ Today.

_Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter:_ Silliness _IS_ good! :D

_Mary Queen of Sues:_ Ouch. Either way, I don't mind you speaking your mind. Your review is what made me type up the next chapter in *checks time* 2 hours and 45 minutes. Ish. Fastest I've ever written a chapter. Thank you for your honesty_—*gives cookie.*_

_animeartist523:_ Pretty soon. As for the IchiRuki: all I'll say is that Toshiro's spent too much time around Rangiku. *wink wink nudge nudge*/I read your review and I immediately imagined Ichigo becoming flustered and trying to allay their suspicions.

_The OMG Cat:_ RenHime is pretty crack, but I actually rather like it. I might replace it with UlquiHime though. NO! QUINCIES! …Sorry about that, I just feel very passionately about the recent arc's WTF-ness. ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING! AT ALL! Though…still pretty badass arc.

_Cloudedguardian:_ I wasn't going to add that last part, but I saw it SO vividly, that I'm like "awww…what the heck?"

* * *

_**Me:**_** *is bloody from Rukia's beating* Guess who comes in next chapter?**

**_Grimmjow:_**** Yoruichi?**

**_Yoruichi:_**** Grimmjow?**

**_Me:_**** Maybe~.**


	12. 11 Insert Clever Chapter Title Here

**_Me_: SAN-SAN!**

**_Sandira:_ You didn't.**

**_Me:_ Oh, but I did~.  
**

**_Sandira: _I'm glad you DON'T own Bleach or Harry Potter. You'd utterly torture their characters.  
**

**_Me:_ There's several subtle hints in here about not-yet revealed events. Foreshadowing, if you will. Good luck finding them~.  
**

* * *

Normal Text

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

_Writing inside the story_

**'Shiro inside Ichigo's mind'**

**_'zanpakutō'_**

**"Foreign Dialogue/Japanese"**

* * *

11. Insert Clever Chapter Title Here

The moment Ichigo looked at the creature that had assaulted him (with raw eggs no less!), the first thing he registered was shock. Then confusion.

"You're…a spirit…?" Ichigo looked at the translucent man in wonder.

"Oh, you've ne'er seen a ghosty-whosty before?" the ghost taunted.

Ichigo ignored the spirit's taunts, and examined the unusual creature before him.

The ghost was clearly a dead soul. There was absolutely no question about that. And judging from the outdated clothing the ghost wore, it was an old soul. Too old for it not to have turned into a Hollow before. So why...?

"Sorry if this embarrasses you," the ghost began, "but you've got raw egg on your face." Then, cackling at his own wit, the ghost threw an egg at Ichigo's face. Where it exploded. Covering one of the most powerful Shinigami's face with gooey, uncooked egg and bits of shell.

That was it. Unusual or not, the soul could be observed by Ichigo _after_ he'd beat the shit out of this pest. He'd had more than enough of wizards and their crap over the past week and a half...

"Come here, you!" he growled, jerking forward.

The ghost seemed surprised at these actions, and laughed, "You think you can touch Peevsie Weevsie? Good luck!"

It was true that the first time that Ichigo lunged at the ghost he passed through the annoying spirit. But Ichigo wasn't nearly as stupid as some of his colleagues claimed he was.

"Jikai seyo rondanïni no kokken! Ichidoku shi yakiharai mizukara nodo o kaki kiru gaï! Bakudō no Juu, Hōrin!" Ichigo chanted, holding out his index and middle fingers as a yellow glow engulfed them.

As he finished the Kidō incantation, he motioned as if he were throwing something at the ghost. A yellow rope of spirit energy burst from his fingertips and wrapped itself around the ghost.

"Oooohooo…What's this?" the ghost asked, struggling at the binding spell.

"It's _Kidō_. Death God Magic," Ichigo explained smugly.

"Death God...are you dead then?" The mischievous spirit suddenly grinned, "Orange haired zombie man, who know when he'll die again? Orange haired zombie man—"

Ichigo scowled and interrupted the ghost's song, "I'm one of the new professors here at Hogwarts. DADA, but focusing on Shinigami and other..._foul_ creatures."

Peeves seemed to regain some color in his pearly white face, but still eyed the orange-haired boy warily, "Aren't you an itsy-bitsy wittle _young_ to be a professor, orangey?"

Ichigo flushed. This gigai showed his true appearance, which honestly appeared to be no older than 19, and seemed to hover around 17 or 18.

"I am older than you think," Ichigo snapped.

"19?" the ghost guessed.

"..." Ichigo glared.

"20? 21? 22? 23? 24? 25? 26? 27? 28? 29? 30? 31~?" the ghost began to sing.

"URUSAI!" Ichigo yelled.

The ghost fell silent, but grinned in a way strangely reminiscent of Shiro's own insane smile.

"Listen to me NOW," Ichigo began warningly, "I am going to ask you questions. I have you restrained with a _weak_ spell, and I haven't even begun with destructive spells yet. I expect my questions to be answered truthfully and in detail, if necessary. Got it?"

The ghost contemplated the decision for a moment before pouting and nodding.

"What is your name?"

"Peeves is the name, entertainment's the game~!" the ghost, Peeves, announced happily.

"Entertainment, my ass. Throwing raw eggs at other people is _not_ entertainment." Before Peeves could retort to that, Ichigo continued: "Second question: _what_ are you?"

Peeves looked at the orange-haired man with a disappointed look, "I think that that orange hair dye's gone to your head, Teachy." Peeves said sagely.

Whatever reaction Peeves was expecting, Peeves was NOT expecting the man to encase his hand in a blue-white glow of reiatsu and ram a fist into the top of Peeves' head.

"My hair is NATURAL! And my name is _Ichigo Kurosaki_ not _Teachy_."

"Ichi-teachy~!" Peeves sang out, completely unfazed.

Ichigo resisted the urge to facepalm.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

**_~Meanwhile~_**

Yellow eyes focused on a certain spot in the sky moments before a ripping sound was heard and a mouth-like portal opened up in the sky.

**"Well,"** the voice of the being to whom the yellow eyes belonged said, **"I certainly wasn't expecting to see the Sexta Espada in Gense...what are you doing here?"**

**"I wouldn't be here if _HE_ hadn't insisted," **the Arrancar who stepped out of the Garganta in the sky muttered in annoyance. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the bright, sunny sky through his green hair, **"Who does he think he is, ordering me around like that?"**

**"Don't be so prideful," **the first voice snorted, following the Sexta Espada's gaze, **"The whole world doesn't revolve around just you, you know."**

**"The whole world might not revolve around me, but I still don't have to like taking orders,_ kitty-cat_,"** the Sexta taunted.

The first voice ignored him.

* * *

**_~Rukia~_**

Rukia was up in the library with Toshiro and Hermione.

Dragonology books mostly surrounded Toshiro, though there were a few spell books and magical theory books.

Hermione was sifting through books on the topic of death or creatures associated with it, along with several Japanese translators, much to Rukia's suspicion.

Rukia herself was reading up on the history of the Wizarding World and its community. Currently, she was reading _Hogwarts, A History_ upon Hermione's recommendation. She was just reading about the wards placed around Hogwarts when she saw a shadow detach itself from the wall.

A small, _living_ shadow.

With yellow eyes.

"Yoruichi?"

* * *

**_~Ichigo~_**

"How did you die?" Ichigo asked.

Peeves cackled and shook his head in refusal to answer.

"Okay…are there other ghosts in Hogwarts?" Ichigo asked.

"Quite a few, true, but none quite a witty, as itty-bitty…PEEVSIE!" the ghost sang.

"Maybe they're not as insane as you are though," Ichigo deadpanned, releasing the ghost of his spell. "Get out of my sight or else. I'm off to find a more _useful_ ghost."

Peeves looked offended, and grinning manically, threw the last of his raw eggs (which he had dutifully held onto) at Ichigo.

"BASTARD!" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs, wiping yolk from his eyes.

* * *

**_~Dumbledore~_**

"BASTARD!"

Dumbledore looked up from his musing.

"It seems as though Professor Kurosaki-taicho has met our resident poltergeist." he chuckled to himself.

* * *

**_~Rukia~_**

Rukia saw Toshiro's head snap up and out of his book at the name of the Flash Goddess.

Hermione's head raised up more slowly, and she only raised it when the cat jumped up onto the book-covered table in front of her.

"Ah, Hermione, this is Yoruichi. She's our cat, we've been wondering where she had gotten off to." Rukia quickly explained.

Hermione frowned, but seemed to accept this, returning to her book without a word.

Yoruichi leaned her head forward to Hermione, nudging the bookworm's hand.

Hermione smiled faintly and stroked Yoruichi's ears, electing a purr from the Head of the Shihōin Clan.

Rukia grinned, but the smile was wiped off her face when she felt a powerful reiatsu spike a mile or so northeast of Grimmauld Place.

It was an Arrancar...and not one that she knew.

"Hermione, Toshiro, Yoruichi, I need to go to the bathroom, excuse me," she exclaimed, standing up suddenly, causing her chair to overturn. She raced out of the room, feeling around in her robes for her gikongan.

Finding it, she swallowed the pill, and immediately cursed herself for not being careful. In front of her was Mad-Eye Moody. To make matters worse, she was a Shinigami in the shihakusho uniform. And directly behind her, Chappy was standing up in her gigai.

Oops.

* * *

**_~Grimmjow~  
_**

The blue-haired Espada was yawning when Ulquiorra found him.

**"Remind me why I can't go out and kick Hollow ass, Ulquiorra?"** Grimmjow asked.

**"Lady Harribel requested that some of her strongest stay behind so that the reinforcements that replenish the main force are strong,"** Ulquiorra explained, closing his eyes and letting a soft sigh of annoyance out. Since the War, he'd been far more expressive, though he was still usually stoic.

**"So why did you send that brat to warn Kurosaki? Shouldn't we keep all of our forces here? And why get the Death Gods involved at all? We can handle ourselves against these rebellious weaklings," **Grimmjow snarled

**"We agreed not to ask for the Death Gods' aid, and not to involve them in this civil war, but when the enemy declared that they planned on turning the Vizards against us that was crossing the line. At the very least the Masked Army needed to know, and due to the Vizards' close dealing with the Death Gods, it was only inevitable that they should learn of our plight."**

Grimmjow snarled again.

**"While on this topic, Grimmjow, Kurosaki sent several of his friends to send us a warning along the same lines of our own warning—evidently some of former colleagues are leading this Rebellion."**

Grimmjow looked up, **"Like who?"**

**"Barragan, Nnoitra, Szayel Aporro, Yammy****—**" Grimmjow cut Ulquiorra's listing off by jumping to his feet.

**"Nnoitra, that bastard?! I'll rip him to shreds! Let me onto the front-lines****!"** the Sexta demanded.

**"I realize you have a personal grudge against Nnoitra, Grimmjow, but Lady Harribel's wishes are different. It was Nelliel's idea. You're going to England."**

**"Why? Freakin' hell, Ulquiorra!" **Grimmjow growled.

**"You are going to protect Kurosaki," **Ulquiorra announced, **"because he is a likely target, probably the most likely, and as such it would make sense to place a guard near him."**

Grimmjow looked caught between murderous and amused, **"Does Ichigo _know_ that you guys think that he needs to be protected? Because I don't think that'll go over well with Berry-boy."**

* * *

**_~Ichigo~__  
_**

As our favorite orange-headed Captain walked through the halls of Hogwarts, he sneezed.

* * *

**_~Rukia~_**

"Figured as much," Mad-Eye grumbled. Then he fixed her with a piercing stare, "You look like you're in a hurry, don't you have somewhere to go?"

Rukia gaped. He hadn't so much as blinked in surprise.

These wizards were the weirdest humans she'd ever met...no, scratch that. They were among the weirdest, she corrected herself as she thought fondly of Ichigo's ningen life and his ningen friends.

"Uh...yeah," Rukia muttered, slipping past Moody. Then, looking over her shoulder, she called to her gigai, "Behave, Chappy! Don't act too suspicious and remember to speak in English."

Her body saluted her, "Hai, Rukia-taicho."

* * *

Rukia shunpo'd towards the reiatsu, and she felt another reiatsu, hiding behind the first, but not any weaker. If anything, this second reiatsu was stronger.

She arrived to see two Arrancar, a female and a male.

The female had bright red-gold hair cascading down her shoulders, and piercing yellow eyes, like a cat's. A tiara-like fragment of mask was on the side of her head, with a horn-like protrusion in the center. Her Hollow hole was nestled between the curves of her...assets, clearing seen by way of the Arrancar's skimpy outfit.

The male was a tanned man with bright green hair and sharp green eyes. His mask fragment was almost unnoticeable—a thin circlet of bone around his head. His Hollow holes wasn't visible, but that may have been due to the fact that the Arrancar's outfit revealed very little skin.

**"Rukia Kuchiki, Captain of the Third Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads of the Soul Society in Seireitei,"** Rukia called out to them, **"And you?"**

**"Mazumi Tachibana, Novena Espada of Las D****í**as in Hueco Mundo," the female returned.

**"Sandira Tokage, Sexta Espada of Las D****í**as in Hueco Mundo," the male answered.

Two Espadas? This was going to get ugly fast if their power levels were anything like the former Espada's power levels.

* * *

_Jikai seyo rondanïni no kokken! Ichidoku shi yakiharai mizukara nodo o kaki kiru gaï! Bakudō no Juu, Hōrin!_: Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Way of Binding number Ten, Disintegrating Circle!

_Gense:_ Human World

_Sexta:_ Spanish for "Sixth"

_Ichigo:_ Strawberry (figured I'd add that for formalities' sake) OR one five/one who protects (depending on how you read it)

_Ningen:_ human

_Novena:_ Spanish for "Ninth"

* * *

_**Me:**_** Action time!**

**_Sandira:_ *whiny voice* I don't wanna fight~! You're gonna kill me off, I just know it!  
**

**_Mazumi:_ ...Hello? ...Goodbye? ...Why am I here...?  
**

**_Me:_ Sandira, calm down. You're not dead yet, nor do I plan on killing you off in the near future.  
**

**_Sandira:_ With you "near future" could mean "the next ten seconds." I don't trust you.  
**

**_Me:_ That hurts my feelings. TT . TT  
**

* * *

_Deamonslayer576:_ They'll head over to school when I've stopped messing around in London (the story, I'm not actually in London).

_oWinterQueen-o:_ Aizen is one of my least favorite characters, right down there with Zommari and Nnoitra. He's such a bastard. Yes, I am planning on revealing Rukia's Bankai, but not anytime soon, unfortunately. More of an oh-shit-things-just-got-serious thing. Anyway…*crosses arms* BWHAHAHA! May the spirits ALWAYS be with you!

_The Purple Jade:_ I was going to make Isshin a former member of the Royal Guard, however I recently read several Fanfictions where Isshin was the Tenth Squad Captain and I thought it made sense, because Toshiro was too young to have been Captain for more than a little while, and in the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc they mentioned that the Tenth Division had a "death in the ranks" when discussing the Captain's vacancy.

_Byakusharinnegan:_ Butterfly Aizen is his second-to-last form, the last being WTF-is-that-Aizen.

_Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter:_ It's just not Harry Potter without Peeves.

_lilyrosa143:_ Some people wanted to have a clearer understanding of the background story, and I wanted to have it written out, too, for reasons of my own.

_ShinigamiAiyu:_ Since when has the Wizarding Community _not_ been slightly stupid and quite biased when it comes to the unknown? *cough* Werewolves & halfbreeds *cough*

_killroy225:_ Not all of the Arrancar were friendly to the Soul Society, of course, if you take Las Días into account. However, most of Las Noches agreed to the treaty between them and the Shinigami.

_thingofmyth:_ There are some points where even a restraining order just won't work. -.-" Anyway, next chapter focuses mainly on Rukia's fight with two Espada: but we must ask ourselves…won't somebody need to come to her aid? Anyhooo….Yoruichi's here and Ichigo doesn't know! That's sure to bring interesting results *wink wink nudge nudge*.

_arandomreviewer:_ I didn't even notice that it the first paragraph. O.O But I'm not changing it. -.- And ha, Pokémon references. It's funny because it's true.

_reven228:_ Not quite…Peeves is too fun a character to be murdered by an angry protagonist just yet. If you haven't noticed, a 100 years as a Captain has made a certain Strawberry more mature.

_Ali-Kun:_ Everytime I see "chappy," used instead of "chapter," in a fanfic, I think _"what if Rukia overheard that?"_

_Das War Schon Kaputt:_ Happy Birthday!

_Qwerty321:_ Who actually executed Aizen? …Probably the Captain Commander Yamamoto or Captain Soifon. You know what? Let's just go with Yama-jii. I like the idea of Aizen being burnt to a crisp *insert sadistic grin here*.

_volvagia09:_ Sadly, no matter what one does to Peeves, it is very hard to keep him down for long.


	13. 12 Fire and Ice

_**Me:**_** Sorry I updated so late. I had to study for 3 tests and 2 quizzes, write 2 essays and on top of that I had a concert to prepare for. So...yeah.  
**

**_Sandira: _SSKA doesn't own Bleach.**

**_Tite Kubo:_ But I do~.  
**

**_Me:_ Kubo-sensei! Why are you here?  
**

**_Tite Kubo:_ ...**

**_Me:_ ?  
**

**_Tite Kubo: _...  
**

**_Me: _?!**

**_Tite Kubo: ...Trollin'._  
**

**_Me: _*head explodes***

**_Sandira:_ She doesn't own Harry Potter either. *looks around* Guess J. K. Rowling decided not to come and finish off SSKA.  
**

* * *

_12. Fire and Ice  
_

**_~Rukia_~**

Rukia sized up her opponents as _they _sized _her _up.

She drew Sode no Shirayuki, feeling comfort in the blade's presence.

The female Espada, Mazumi Tachibana, responded in kind, drawing the slender katana sheathed at her side.

"Well, Rukia-taicho," Mazumi began easily, "I'll be your first opponent. You see Tokage-san here doesn't like ganging up on an opponent. You can trust him not to interfere in our little skirmish…unless, of course, you prove to be a nuisance."

"Hurry up, Mazumi," Sandira scolded, "Our mission is to scout out the power levels of the Shinigami that Felipe reported. This is one, and from Felipe's description I'd say at least one more."

"Why would the Soul Society send two or more Captains to Gense, Rukia-taicho?" Mazumi asked. "Could it be…they're more worried than they'd like to let on?"

Rukia snorted, "You wish, Espada. We have nothing to fear from a group of Winter War refugees."

Mazumi was quiet a moment, as if thinking over what Rukia had said. Then she disappeared with a dull, thumping sound.

_'Sonído!'_

Rukia whipped around and brought Sode no Shirayuki up to meet Mazumi's blade.

"You're fast, I'll give you that!" Mazumi crowed, raising a fist covered with orange light, "Bala!"

Rukia had no time to dodge the energy blast, and gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. She caught herself before she had fallen too far out of the sky, making a new platform of reishi, gasping for air.

"What's wrong? I was under the impression you captains were stronger than this!" Mazumi yelled.

"Kunrinsha yo. Chiniku no kamen, banshō, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo. Shinri to sessei, tsumi shirame yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo! Hadō sanjuusan: Sōkatsui!" Rukia chanted, her voice steadily getting stronger.

She raised her hand and the blue fire of Sōkatsui raced at its target…to be met with the orange light of Mazumi's Cero.

The Cero quickly overpowered the Hadō, and blasted through, causing to Rukia to Shunpo out of the way.

Mazumi gazed at the Shinigami captain coolly. "Your move."

**_'Does she think this is a game?'_** Sode no Shirayuki asked, outraged.

"You're going to wish you hadn't let me have the next attack," Rukia warned, "Mai, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia felt the blade grow colder in her hand, though not uncomfortably so, as it turned pure white. The guard changed to a pattern reminiscent of a snowflake. From the hilt, a very small chain connected to a white ribbon several times longer than the blade of her sword.

"Now I remember where I'd heard your name!" Sandira exclaimed, "So that's the most beautiful Shikai in all of Soul Society? What an honor to see it in battle."

**_'Mistress! Stab the reishi in the air and freeze it to use your Hakuren!'_**

Rukia obeyed. Using her freezing reiatsu to form a layer of ice onto the reishi platform she had gathered, she stabbed the ice four times.

"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" Rukia yelled, sending a burst of white snow towards Mazumi.

The Arrancar watched calmly as the attack moved towards her, and made no move to dodge or evade the attack. The white snow consumed her, and the last Rukia saw of the Espada was the female's long, fiery hair. Suddenly, Rukia was reminded of Ichigo's orange hair. Where was he? He hadn't returned from Harry's hearing...

**_'Focus! This isn't over_ _yet!'_** Sode no Shirayuki chided.

"Did you think such a pathetic attack would kill me, or are you truly that weak?" Mazumi's voice taunted.

Rukia didn't even bother to waste time by looking behind her. She shunpo'd forward quickly, flipping in midair to face Mazumi.

"Very good," Mazumi approved, smirking, "you got away from me again."

"Stop fooling around with me! Release your zanpakutō and let's finish this quickly!" Rukia demanded.

"Why would I do that? I'm having _far_ too much fun," Mazumi said, smiling sadistically.

"I'll make you regret it," Rukia warned.

"I dare you to try," Mazumi reply, "and while you're at it: pay attention."

Mazumi's hand shot forward, where a fully-charged Cero rested. And Mazumi was only about ten meters away from Rukia.

_'SHIT'_

"CERO!"

Rukia didn't dodge. There wasn't time.

**_'Rukia-sama, First Dance! NOW!'_**

* * *

**_~Mazumi~_**

Mazumi smirked.

"So much for Captain-level Death God," Mazumi sneered.

"You fool. Pay closer attention." Sandira reprimanded her. Mazumi gave him a dirty look, but obeyed.

As the smoke from her Cero's impact dispersed, a mound of ice was where the female Death God had been.

"What...?"

The ice shattered, revealing the short, black-haired woman.

The Captain's violet eyes narrowed, "You wanna dance? Too bad that's my specialty."

"Very well then. You leave me no choice..." Mazumi growled softly, "Furea, Kasaineko."

* * *

**_~Rukia~_**

A whirlwind of orange and gold spiritual power engulfed the Espada. Rukia felt herself pushed back slightly. A hissing came from inside the torrent of power, and then a roar.

_'Is she an animal-based Arrancar...?'_

The orange glow faded away, revealing Mazumi's changed appearance.

Her feet were bare, and leggings made of red-brown fur started at her ankles and stopped just before her knees. A skirt of fur started at mid-thigh and disappeared under a white breastplate of samurai armor. Her outfit had no sleeves, but she had tufts of fur on her shoulders and cut-off sleeves of fur starting at her wrists and stopping just before her elbows. A cat's tail the same color as her hair twined between her legs. Rukia noticed that Mazumi's ears had become pointed and as the Arrancar smirked, she saw the woman's elongated canines.

"If I'm not wrong, your Shikai is elementally based in ice, right?" Mazumi questioned.

"And if it is?" Rukia challenged.

"Then you're done for," Mazumi hissed...and she burst into flames.

* * *

**_~Mad-Eye~_**

Moody growled to himself.

As a former Auror, he didn't want to trust these Shinigami, but as a former Auror he also knew not to trust appearances and stereotypes.

Legends and rumors were almost all of the knowledge they had on Shinigami, and while they were based in truth, Moody knew better to trust them explicitly.

For example, legends of werewolves depicted them as out-of-control monsters, bloodthirsty whether or not they were in wolf or human form. Contrary to that, Lupin was a generally kind-hearted person who genuinely cared for the well-being of his fellows and his charges.

Also, Moody was an excellent judge of character. All of the three Shinigami seemed to be, if not trustworthy, at the very least full of honor and loyal to their mission...whatever it may have been. That was, of course, aside from the first night when the Order had informed Harry and friends as much as they dared, and Ichigo's presence had seemed darker and more primal.

From what Dumbledore had explained, Shinigami sent souls to the afterlife and killed evil souls. And from the what Moody had gathered, the white-clothed figures he had seen (for he had been the Order member to make _that_ report) were not Shinigami.

If they weren't Shinigami, what were they? Most likely they were the reason that the Shinigami had infiltrated the wizarding world: to get to the figures in white.

But he did suspect what the white figures were. From what Dumbledore had told him and the others, the description of a Hollow matched their descriptions all-too-well. Holes in their body and white masks, if not complete masks. Moody assumed they were some human-like subtype of Hollow.

When Rukia Kuchiki had appeared before him in Shinigami form, he had chosen to give her the benefit of the doubt, especially because she had had a slightly panicked look in here eyes. And some base instinct told him that he wasn't the cause of her panic. She was genuinely worried about something else.

* * *

**_~3PO~_**

Rukia brought her sword up in front of her. Sode no Shirayuki's white ribbon twirled and twisted around her, and she felt slightly comforted by the familiar sight of her sword's ribbon dancing.

But that didn't change the fact that Mazumi's zanpakutō was fire-based against her snow-based zanpakutō. Ice against fire was not a good match-up.

"Prepare to die, Shinigami-taicho! _Hitsume!_" Mazumi yelled. As she called out the name of her technique, the fire surrounding her gathered in her claws, burning white hot and creating small heat waves that Rukia could see from where she was.

With a burst of Sonído, Mazumi appeared right in front of Rukia. Slashing downwards with one of her hands, the fire created an arc and slammed into Sode no Shirayuki's blade.

_'Dammit! Sode no Shirayuki, should I use Bankai and finish this quickly?'_

_**'The time is not right.'**  
_

_'Fine. I can hold out a little longer.'  
_

Pouring in a small amount of reiatsu into Sode no Shirayuki, Rukia dispersed the fire with a small amount of snow and ice.

"Hitsume!" the cry came from behind her.

Rukia's eyes widened as she whipped around. A wall of fire slammed into her, causing her to scream in pain as it burned her.

"Are you finished ALREADY, _Rukia-taicho_?" Mazumi sneered.

"Not...not even close," Rukia panted, lifting her zanpakutō.

A ripping sound came from behind her.

"Well...well...it looks like you need some help, don't you?" Grimmjow asked, stepping out from the Garganta.

"Mazumi! We're leaving _now_," Sandira yelled.

His Pesquisa told him that the new arrival was not a good person to pick a fight with. He was still certain he would win...his pride wouldn't let him admit anything else. But he and Mazumi would undoubtedly suffer injuries, and they'd destroy a good portion of London. Right now, they were supposed to be more-or-less incognito, and blowing up buildings wouldn't help their cause.

"No! Not until I kill this Shinigami!" Mazumi hissed back.

Sandira cursed under his breath. This was why Barragan-sama had sent him to accompany Mazumi: more often than not, she got way too involved in her fights.

"I said _now,_" he repeated, putting some reiatsu behind the command.

She continued to ignore him.

And none of them had noticed Rukia gathering all of her strength for a final, one-hit kill.

"Hyōga Seiran," she said, unleashing the powerful Hadō. The moment she released her Kidō, she merged it with her Hakuren.

"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!"

The two ice-based attacks slammed into Mazumi, leaving her frozen.

Before she could melt the ice, Rukia purposely shattered it, leaving multiple cuts and lacerations all over Mazumi.

"YOU BITCH!" Mazumi screeched.

"Pay more attention!" Rukia yelled back.

"Rukia-chan, do you mind if I step in now?" Grimmjow called down lazily, "Ichigo wouldn't appreciate if I let his girl get sliced up and fried."

Rukia turned scarlet. "I'M NOT ICHIGO'S GIRL!"

"Sure you ain't," Grimmjow replied. He disappeared with a Sonído that made Mazumi's look like a snail's pace.

"And _you_, Espada or not, are not worth my time." He said smirking, releasing a turquoise Bala in Mazumi's face.

The Novena didn't even have time to curse colorfully.

Sandira decided it was time intervene before the new arrival killed her.

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU IGNORE ME, MAZUMI YOU BAKA!" he yelled as he kicked Grimmjow in the head.

"OW! FUCK, WHO THE HELL DID THAT?" Grimmjow yelled, whipping around.

"Sandira Tokage, Sexta Espada," Sandira growled.

"Funny. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and _I'm_ the Sexta Espada."

"The one from the Winter War?...Didn't you get your ass kicked or something by Nnoitra-sama?"

"THAT BASTARD! WHAT DID HE TELL YOU!?"

"It doesn't matter, I'll kick your ass either way."

"Huh, that's a funny joke. Let's hear another one."

"Fuck you!"

"No thanks, I don't swing that way."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT!"

* * *

_**~Back With Mazumi & Rukia~**_

Mazumi picked herself up to be met with the white point of a sword.

"Move and I'll kill you. You're no longer in any condition to fight." Rukia said.

Mazumi snorted, "You obviously don't know the first thing about me. I won't stop fighting until I've won or died."

"You're going to answer a few questions I have," Rukia demanded.

"No."

"Why are you after the Masked Army?" Rukia continued, ignoring the Arrancar.

"...Are you stupid?"

Rukia frowned, and fished in her shihakusho for something. "Found it!"

Before Mazumi could blink, Rukia had drawn a French mustache on her.

"My face!"

"It washes off," Rukia said, "Anyway, answer the question."

"What was the point of that!?"

"You insulted me," Rukia said.

"You're a bitch!"

"You're rude."

"You're being childish!"

"Just answer the question!"

"We want the Masked Army to fight for us, and that's all I'll say," Mazumi snapped.

"Next question..." Rukia paused when she realized she didn't _have_ a next question. Not for lack of curiosity, but because she didn't have enough information to form a question that could betray some vital information.

There was an explosion above them, and the two females looked up to see Sandira and Grimmjow yelling at each other while firing off Cero and Bala.

"You said you don't stop fighting until you either win or die?" Rukia questioned suddenly.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Gomenasai, Tachibana-san. I'd rather not do this, but I can't let you win and I don't want to snub your pride...or your morals, however different they are from my own."

**_'Be strong, Rukia-sama. Kill her now or let her pride suffer.'_**

Mazumi seemed to understand what Rukia meant, "Do it."

Sode no Shirayuki's white blade was stained with the red of lifeblood.

* * *

**_~3PO~_**

Rukia watched as the two Sexta Espada fought...verbally and physically.

**_'They're well-matched in insults and__ vulgarity.'_** Sode no Shirayuki commented, her disgust obvious.

"Sandira Tokage, you partner is dead! If you value your soul, leave now!" Rukia called out.

Sandira's head whipped around towards Rukia, "You killed Mazumi?"

Surprisingly, Grimmjow didn't attack Sandira when the made himself vulnerable like this.

"Yes," Rukia said stiffly.

_'That's the second Espada I've killed.'_

Sandira adopted a Kuchiki-face. Stoic and emotionless, he said, "Then I have no other reason to be here, taicho."

He turned around to Grimmjow, "We'll fight again, but right now I have a report to make. I hope you'll excuse me."

The green-haired Sexta disappeared into a Garganta seconds after opening it.

When the Garganta closed, Grimmjow scowled, "Is he bi-polar or something? One moment he's screaming insults and being immature, and the next he's cold and professional. And what's more, the bastard ran away from our fight."

"Grimmjow, you're bleeding," Rukia informed him gesturing to his forearm.

The first Sexta looked at his arm in surprise, "Didn't even feel it. Huh, guess the new number six isn't so bad after all."

"Do you need me to heal you?" Rukia asked politely. She wanted to show her gratitude to him for saving her.

"What? Look, girly, maybe Ichigo needs to get healed every five seconds, but I'll take it like a man." Grimmjow said, frowning at her.

Rukia tried not to point out that Ichigo kicked his ass...that probably would not be warmly received.

"I can't take you back to Grimmauld Place...what should I do with you?"

Grimmjow waved her off, "I'll sleep outside. When you see Ichigo, tell him to come find me."

Rukia frowned at the Espada, but nodded. "I have to go now. If I leave Chappy alone too long, the young wizards will get suspicious...not that they aren't already..." she added under her breath.

* * *

Sonído: _Spanish for Sound_

Sode no Shirayuki: _Sleeve of White Snow _(Rukia's zanpakutō)

Kunrinsha yo. Chiniku no kamen, banshō, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo. Shinri to sessei, tsumi shirame yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo!: _Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Upon this wall of sinless dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!_

Hadō sanjuusan, Sōkatsui: _Way of Destruction 33, Blue Fire, Crash Down_

Mai: _Dance_

Shikai: _First Release_

Tsugi no Mai: _Second Dance_

Hakuren: _White Ripple_

Bala: _Spanish for Bullet_

Furea, Kasaineko: _Flare, Fire Cat_

Hitsume: _Fire Claws_

Bankai: _Final Release_

Hyōga Seiran: Glacier Vapor Storm

* * *

**Mazumi: YOU KILLED ME, YOU BITCH!**

**Me: I didn't! Rukia-chan did.  
**

**Rukia: If Mazumi is dead, why is she alive here?  
**

**Me: I brought her back to life...because I AM KAMI!  
**

**Sandira: No, you aren't.  
**

**Me: ...San-san...TT . TT  
**

* * *

_Grisia: _I would've ripped his little head off, too. And two Espada would pose a problem…but Sandira doesn't like ganging up on peoples….

_phoenixyfriend:_ It's a pun on Las Noches. I am very aware that it is grammatically incorrect.

_killroy225:_ Not Yoruichi, but close.

_Byakusharinnegan:_ You were at the Hueco Mundo arc and you're at the latest update!? Dayum…Lol about Aizen. Or the Hōgyoku was trollin' him.

_o-WinterQueen-o:_ Pretty much the whole Order. I'm not answering your other questions for now.

_Guest:_ It's a pun on Las Noches. I am very aware that it is grammatically incorrect. You don't have to apologize.

_Sypher14: _I'm not going to answer your question, but I will say that Dumbledore and Mad-Eye aren't going to tell the Golden Three.

_Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter:_ Nothing fazes Peeves. If anyone should look out…it's actually probably Ichigo, because he can't blow his cover.

_kitty-ally-93:_ But Ichi won't kill the messenger…I hope.

_Myrna Maeve:_ Look up "Final Form Aizen" into Google Images. And…I'll consider it. ;)

_Cloudedguardian:_ I have a very sketchy idea for the ghosts. I'm probably just gonna wing it.

_ultima-owner:_ What you did there…I SEE IT.

_Isangtao:_ Thanks for the suggestion. Will do.

_thingofmyth:_ They FINALLY go to Hogwarts next chappy. *Rukia appears*

**_Rukia:_** **Chappy? Where!?**

**_Me:_**** Not again… TT . TT**


	14. 13 Prelude to a Party

**_SO SO SORRY! MY COMPUTER BROKE, AND IT TOKE FOREVER TO FIX! WHEN IT BROKE, I HAD NOTHING WRITTEN, SO I HOPE THIS WILL DO FOR NOW!_**

**_13. Prelude to a Party_**

Rukia arrived back at Grimmauld Place to find Ichigo had returned. He looked pretty pissed off about something, so she decided not to give him Grimmjow's message just yet.

Something else she wanted to avoid, if at all possible, was him seeing her wounds. He'd completely flip out if he knew that she'd gone and fought an Espada-class Hollow without enlisting Toshiro's help.

Then, if he did inquire about it, she'd have to tell him about Grimmjow, and she was unsure of his reaction towards that news. He might be miffed that he hadn't saved Rukia, but rather one of his rivals; or he might be glad that Grimmjow had saved. He probably wouldn't take well to the news that Grimmjow was in the area either way, though.

So, of course, the best thing to do would be to just avoid Ichigo until she could get some privacy to heal her wounds with Kidou.

"Where have _you_ been?"

Scratch that...alright, Plan B.

"Nowhere, but I did kind of fall down the stairs," Rukia said, holding out one of her bruised arms.

"Liar," Ichigo growled.

"...Would you believe that I..."

"No, because you started off your excuse with 'would you believe.'" Ichigo interrupted.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm not in the best of moods, Rukia. So tell me where you were."

"Fine, I was out fighting an Arrancar. But I killed it, so don't worry."

"By yourself? Where was Toshiro?" Ichigo's voice grew dark.

"It would have been suspicious, Ichigo! And to tell the truth, I did end up having some trouble with the Arrancar, you're right, I shouldn't have gone alone. But Grimmjow's in the area and he helped me!"

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo's surprise helped break through his foul mood.

"Yes!" Rukia grabbed the life-line as she saw it. "And he gave me a message to tell you that he wants to see you as soon as possible!" _Though definitely not in those exact words._

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "Why would he want to see me?"

"You idiot, does it matter!? We're leaving for Hogwarts in less than week, and you'll be hard pressed to go see him before we leave!" Rukia scolded, poking Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo scowled, but it was his usual scowl, as if he had gotten over his funk.

_Good, I don't like dealing with him when he's like that. _

And then they heard Mrs. Weasley's shriek.

They turned towards the voice, "What's wrong!?"

* * *

"Booklists have arrived," Ron said casually, "About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come much earlier than this..."

Harry quickly scanned his...

"Only four new ones..._The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5_ by Miranda Goshawk; _Defensive Magical Theory_ by Wilbert Slinkhard; _Magick Creatures of the Nighte_ by Katherine Creepe and _Youkai, Mononoke, Ayakashi and Other Japanese Monsters_ by Haraura Sukeki."

_**CRACK.**_

Fred and George Apparated next to Harry, who wasn't even surprised.

"We figure that book about Japanese monsters was assigned because of all the Shinigami," Fred said casually.

"Haraura Sukeki is a weird name though, even for someone from Japan," George commented.

Meanwhile, Ron had gone slack-jawed, looking into his envelope.

"What's wrong with you, Ronnie?" Fred asked, getting up to look at what Ron what staring at over his shoulder.

...

"Prefect? _Prefect?_"

George lunged forward at Fred's words, grabbing Ron's envelope and turned it upside down, causing a gold-scarlet badge to fall out.

"There has to be a mistake," George said.

"No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect."

The twins turned to look at Harry, "We thought you'd get it for certain!"

"We thought Dumbledore was _bound _to pick you!"

Ron held the badge out to Harry, as if he really was holding Harry's badge, and that this was all some huge mistake.

Harry took it, and as he was examining the badge, Hermione, closely followed by a black cat, burst through the door.

Her eyes locked onto the badge immediately.

"I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No, not me, Ron's the prefect."

"...What?"

"Ron's prefect, not me," Harry repeated/

"_What?_ But, I mean...you're sure?"

She turned around almost guiltily to face Ron.

"It's my name on the letter," he said glumly.

"I...I, uh...well, wow! Well done, Ron! That's really..."

"Unexpected?" George suggested.

"No, no, it's not...Ron's done loads of...he's really..."

In the middle of this awkward moment, Mrs. Weasley came bustling through the doorway.

"Ginny said the booklists have come at last. If you give them to me, I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing...what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his new badge," George said in a not-very-subtle voice.

"Match his what?" Mrs. Weasley asked absently.

"His _badge_. His lovely...shiny...new..._prefect's badge_."

"...His...but...Ron, you're not...?"

Ron held up the badge that he had just retrieved from Harry.

Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek of joy.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia ran to the boys' room the moment they heard Mrs. Weasley's scream, but Toshiro was faster.

"Is something wrong!?" he asked frantically.

Unfortunately, this made him vulnerable to Mrs. Weasley's joyfulness. After just releasing Ron from a death-hug, she turned around and promptly suffocated Toshiro in another hug.

_...Why me? Why does this always happen to ME?_ Toshiro thought desperately.

"I know! We'll have a party for Ron tonight, right after I get back from Diagon Alley!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed excitedly, bounding off, leaving Toshiro standing there, mildly disheveled.

"...Will someone explain to me what just happened?" he asked cluelessly as Ichigo and Rukia came running up.

"Is something wrong!?"

Toshiro turned to them, "You tell me."

"Let us explain," Fred offered.

"You see, Ronnie here just got a prefects' badge; meaning that everyone in the family has gotten a prefects' badge!" George said mock-joyfully.

"Except for us, because apparently we're the next-door neighbors," Fred commented.

"And Mother is so happy that little Ronnie is a prefect that she's decided to throw a party~!"

"Tonight!" Fred added, feeling the need to get the last word in.

"A party won't be bad!" Rukia exclaimed. _ In fact, it might cheer Ichigo up some more!_


	15. 14 Celebrations and Exterminations

_**I was going to make this chapter longer, which is why it took so long, but I ended up deciding that it would be preferable for me to update now and deal with the rest later. It's the end of the school year, so with finals coming up...well, my life's been hell. Enjoy.  
**_

_**14. Celebrations and Exterminations**_

Rukia had truly thought a party would be good for Ichigo, that he'd get to loosen up a little, but that really seemed to not be the case at all.

The orange-haired bastard was obstinately refusing to take part in the festivities, instead choosing to sulk in a corner.

She was tempted to go over and kick him in the head, cover be damned.

She sighed.

Ichigo's moodiness was affecting her more than it should have. She should just ignore the damn strawberry and enjoy herself.

**'Or you could go over there and tell him cheer up or else,' **Sode no Shirayuki suggested in a dangerous voice that said "do it or else."

"Why should I?" Rukia murmured.

**'Rukia-chan...I will destroy the monument of Chappy in your inner world,'** the female zanpakutō threatened.

_'Fine! I'll do it, no need to bring Chappy into this,'_ Rukia said in a placating tone.

She walked over to the berry boy.

"Ne, Ichigo..."

The Fifth Division Captain looked up.

"What is it, Rukia?"

"Why don't you enjoy the party?"

"Parties aren't my thing," the boy replied simply.

"Ichigo...enjoy the party _or else_." The last words Rukia spoke quietly, but forcefully.

Amber eyes met violet ones, and Ichigo sighed.

"If you'll stop nagging. Who are you...Yuzu?"

Rukia frowned as she noticed that even after all these years, Ichigo avoided mention of his mother.

"Maybe I am nagging, but it's for your own good." Rukia hissed.

"That's what they all say," Ichigo replied, before getting up and walking to interact with others at the party.

Absentmindedly, she saw Toshiro engaged in conversation with Kingsley and Lupin. She unobtrusively made her way over to them to eavesdrop, though Toshiro undoubtedly noticed her. He was a Captain, after all.

"...why Dumbledore didn't make Potter a prefect?" Kingsley was asking.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Lupin said faithfully.

"But it would've shown confidence in him. It's what I'd've done," persisted Kingsley, "'specially with the _Daily Prophet_ having a go at him every few days..."

Rukia noticed movement from the doorway, and saw Harry rush off.

As she moved around the conversing group to follow, she heard Toshiro reply.

"From what I've heard, they're having gos at Dumbledore as well. Who's to say that they'd actually respect his opinion? After all, birds of a feather stick together. If they think that Harry and Dumbledore are both mad, then Dumbledore expressing faith in Harry wouldn't do anything to change that opinion..."

Rukia heard no more as she had left the room.

–

Ichigo approached Moody as he was sniffing a chicken leg, as if checking for poison.

"I doubt Molly poisoned the food, Mad-Eye," Ichigo teased, sitting down next to the Auror.

"I know Rukia and Toshiro are like you. Knew from the second I saw them, but I couldn't confirm it until the girl appeared before me as one of your kind. Didn't help that Dumbledore hid it from me."

Ichigo's mouth twitched, "Right to the point, huh?"

Moody grunted, "I wasn't going to interrogate you about...not here, anyway. But considering what you are, would you like to spend the night sharing war stories with an old veteran?"

Ichigo hesitated. Some of the things he had seen...but then again...

"Fine. But I'll keep a few to myself," Ichigo agreed.

Moody seemed not to mind this, "I think you'll find this one interesting, it's about my team of Aurors storming one of the Dark Lord's bases, and we managed to capture a few Death Eaters. We got wind of it from an informant, who was later killed by the very Death Eaters he had reported, of course it was dangerous to be an informant in those days..."

Moody went on the tell of a failed spying mission that escalated into an all-out duel with the Death Eaters. "We won, but at a heavy price. Dwayne, Rhonda and Camilla were all killed, and the Clemens brothers lost their minds. I lost a chunk of my nose in that fight," here Moody gestured to his nose, which was indeed missing a piece.

At that moment, Harry came into the room. Moody's attention suddenly wavered.

"I'll be back, but Dumbledore asked me to show Mr. Potter something," Moody explained as he made his way towards Harry.

**_'He truly is an interesting human,'_** Shiro commented.

**'Yes. After his death, he would make a fine officer of the Gotei 13,'** Zangetsu added.

_**'Assuming he wants to become a Shinigami,'**_ Shiro pointed out.

**'From what I've seen of his personality, he will want to continue fighting the evil things in life, even after death. Furthermore, he seems to have gained a new-found respect for Ichigo after learning of his Shinigami status.'**

Suddenly, Ichigo burst out laughing. _'If he does become a Shinigami, I call dibs.'_ the Captain announced to his partners.

Mrs. Weasley gave him a strange look before yawning and announcing that she'd better sort out the boggart before she went to sleep.

Sirius had just called Moody away from a disturbed Harry, and Ichigo had greeted them near the entrance to the kitchen.

But Harry wasn't paying attention. Those people...including his mother and father...they had been _killed_. Of course he'd known it from the start, that many people had been killed by Voldemort, but hearing how they'd been killed, seeing their faces...wondering how they could be so happy in the photograph when all that awaited them was death. It was too real to be true.

He crept upstairs, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. But as he reached the first landing, he heard the sound of sobbing coming from the drawing room.

"Hello?"

No answer.

Harry crept into the room, but he was not prepared for the sight which met his eyes.

There, clearly dead, with his throat torn out and lying a pool of his own blood, was Ron Weasley.

"Ron...?" But no, Ron was downstairs, telling Tonks about the Cleansweep that Mrs. Weasley had bought for him as a reward for becoming a prefect.

And kneeling above Ron's body was none other than Mrs. Weasley, who was the source of the sobbing.

"Is something wrong?" Toshiro's voice came from behind Harry.

The young-looking fifth year with snow white hair and turquoise eyes appeared behind Harry. He, too, froze at the sight before him.

However, unlike Harry, he quickly got over his shock, almost as if this were routine, and hurried towards Mrs. Weasley.

"R-r-riddikulus!" the witch gasped.

_Crack._

Ron became Bill, lying spread-eagle on the floor, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Toshiro pulled up short. He seemed more confused as to why the bodies changed identities than as to why they were there in the first place.

"R-riddi-dikulus," the woman sobbed.

_Crack._

Mr. Weasley replaced Bill, his glasses askew and his face blue-tinted. Foam was gathered at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were bloodshot and wide open with panic.

"NO! Ridikkulus...ridikkulus...ridikkulus...RIDIKKULUS! "

_Crack._ Dead twins. _Crack._ Dead Percy. _Crack._ Dead Harry and Hermione._ Crack._ Dead Toshiro and Rukia...

"Mrs. Weasley, that's ENOUGH!" Toshiro shouted sternly, almost as if he were giving an order to a subordinate. "You're in no frame of mind to continue to use that spell! Let me take over for you!"

Without waiting for her answer, he put himself between Mrs. Weasley and the boggart.

The boggart stood up. It began to morph, and when it stopped, Toshiro was looking at a doppelg_ä_ngr.

It was perfect replica of Toshiro himself, down to the last messy strand of hair. The only difference was that the fake Toshiro had cruel eyes and a sadistic smirk on his face. The fake Toshiro also had what appeared to be a bloodied sword wrapped in bandages hanging off of his back. From the little of the blade that Harry could see, the blade appeared to be in poor condition, rusted, chipped and dull.

"You're not me," Toshiro said calmly, "Nor will you ever be. Be gone."

Toshiro held out his wand at the boggart, though because of the underage laws he did not use it. However, even as Harry watched, he felt suddenly cold and the boggart stumbled back, as if it had been physically attacked.

"Now go, or I will do something much worse. You're a boggart, right? Then remember this: above all you are still just a living spirit." Toshiro threatened.

The other Toshiro stiffened, but remained smiling, though it had no choice.

Toshiro was confused at first, when he came into the drawing room. And horrified. Ron had been murdered, and he hadn't been able to stop it, even though he had been so close! And now Mrs. Weasley was sobbing in a heartbreaking manner.

But he had just seen Ron downstairs...less than ten minutes ago. How had this happened so fast?

And then Ron turned into Mr. Weasley, and that had thrown Toshiro off. He still wasn't used to the wizarding world.

But after seeing the twins, Percy, Harry, Hermione, himself and Rukia...he realized that it was a boggart. He'd read about them. Magical creatures that embodied your worst fear.

Immediately after his revelation, he pushed himself between the boggart and Mrs. Weasley, knowing that it would stop showing Mrs. Weasley's fear...and show his own fear. But what was he afraid of?

Hollows? No, he had been a Captain for long enough so that nothing short of a Vasto Lorde or an Arrancar would worry him, and the Seireitei had a long-standing alliance with the Arrancar of Hueco Mundo.

Aizen? Once, maybe, but the man was long dead.

Death? No, he'd lived almost two centuries, and on top of that, he was Shinigami. A Death God afraid of death? He wouldn't allow himself to become someone like that.

So when the boggart turned into his worst fear, he wasn't expecting...to see himself.

_'I'm scared of myself? Am I really that insecure?'_

Suddenly he was reminded of time when, during a mission, he'd released his rage at a Hollow in front of a subordinate and nearly killed the poor man. Since then he'd been careful, but always cautious.

He remembered Gin Ichimaru calling him a frightening child, and saying how he'd have to be careful.

And, most of all, he remembered the distance between him and the other souls of the Rukongai. There had been no laughter. No teasing voices. No snide comments. Just fearful glances, hurried retreats, occasional ambushes designed to kill him...to get rid him...the freak. The ice-cold dragon in the kid's skin.

Yes. He feared his own power, and not without good reason.

…

"Go." Toshiro rasped once more, staring at the boggart with dangerous eyes. It was not in the boggart's nature to be afraid, but this kid was no ordinary human...he was a freak...! And a dangerous one, at that. The boggart had no desire to end its own existence. And so it fled. Just like Toshiro, who was supposed the victim, had told it to.

"What was that?" Harry's voice reached Toshiro.

"Nothing, Harry. If you took the time to try and talk your way out of things, maybe you wouldn't have to wave your wand every time you're faced with a challenge."

Toshiro, who was still thinking upon his newly discovered fear, simply walked past a bewildered Harry and a non-attentive Mrs. Weasley, who was slowly regaining her composure.

Speaking of which...

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. It was just a boggart..."

Toshiro was walking away from the drawing room when he saw Sirius, Lupin, Ichigo and Mad-Eye racing up the stairs.

"Toshiro! What happened? We heard shouting." Lupin said.

"Just a bit of trouble with the boggart. It didn't go as easily as Mrs. Weasley expected. But it's fine now, Harry's in there with her." Toshiro said calmly, before slipping past them. Ichigo's eyes silently followed the white-haired boy. He'd known Toshiro long enough to see that the older boy Captain was disturbed.

"Would you excuse me?" Ichigo asked quietly, and when Mad-Eye acknowledged him, he dashed off in pursuit of Toshiro.

"Leave me alone, Kurosaki," the ice captain said moodily. "I don't want to deal with you right now. Just leave me to my thoughts."

Ichigo frowned, before sighing and walking away. There was no point arguing with Toshiro when he got like that.

Ichigo realized, quite suddenly, that he was all alone, with no one to observe his actions. Remembering what Rukia told him about Grimmjow's message, the orange-haired Captain looked around, making sure he was completely alone, before climbing out of his body. Putting Kon in his place, Ichigo gave the mod soul orders to stay put and unnoticed, and then went to go deal with his old friend, the Sexta Espada.


End file.
